American Survival Guide - February 2015

ASG_1502_COVER1-CX 12/12/14 12:54 AM Page US_C1
HEROES ADRIFT:
ADRIFT:THE LOUIS ZAMPERINISTORY
AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE
STAY
ALERT WEATHERING THE
WAVES WHILE
STAY LOST AT SEA
ALIVE
P.78
YOUR SITUATION
OBSERVE BEACH
VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 2
PREPARE FOOD:
REACT SEAWEED
&COASTAL
GRASSES
|||||||||||||||
WHAT |||||||||||||||
HANDGUN DISTILLING
SALT WATER
IS BEST
FOR YOU? SPECIAL SECTIONS
|||||||||||||||
Think Small:
QUELL Build a Mini Survival Kit
YOUR Keep Your Stuff Dry
COUGH IN With Waterproof Storage
NATURE Learn and Use Morse Code
Map to the Stars:
Navigating at Night
GEAR REVIEWS
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ASG-1502-TOC 12/10/14 3:58 AM Page 4
50 COVER
ON GUARD
How Situational
Awareness Can Save
Your Life
Story by Scott Fisher
THE COVER:
Sometimes, survival
depends on your ability to
be acutely aware of your
environment and to react
appropriately. It helps to
have an AR15 handy, like
the one Casey carries on
the front of this month’s
issue.
Photography:
GUY SPANGENBERG
Design:
JESSE CAO
AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE (ISSN 2331-8937) Volume 4, Number 2 is published 12 times a year – January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September/October, November, December by Engaged Media by
Beckett, LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Pkwy., Suite 200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. POSTMASTER: send address changes to American Survival Guide c/o Engaged Media by Beckett, 4635 McEwen Road, Dallas, TX 75244. © 2015
by Beckett Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. GST #855050365RT001 Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Return
undeliverable Canadian addresses to: PITNEY BOWES, INC. P.O. Box 25542 London, ON N6C 6B2.
4 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE > FEBRUARY 2015

ASG-1502-TOC 12/10/14 3:58 AM Page 5
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 | FEBRUARY 2015
FEATURES
34 STORIES OF SURVIVAL: LOUIS
BACKCOUNTRY
ZAMPERINI
47 Days on the Open Ocean GEAR
GUIDES
30 KELP KEEPING YOU ALIVE
Story by Bryan Dumas
Seaweed as a Survival Food
Story and Photography by Christopher
42 NAVIGATING BY THE STARS
Nyerges SURVIVAL
Look to the Heavens My Son…
Story By Larry Schwartz BEACONS 65
40 MACHETAZO
CRKT’s HalfaChance Parang PERSONAL
60 EMERGENCY RESCUE BEACONS FLOATATION
Story by Andrew Philips
Helping Take the Search Out of Search and DEVICES 112
Rescue
46 NATURE’S MEDICINE CHEST WATERPROOF
Story by Larry Schwartz
How to Treat a Sore Throat and Coughing STORAGE 122
Story by Christopher Nyerges
78 NEVER GIVE UP
Surviving at Sea
58 TACTICAL CARRY-ALL
Story By Adam Jones
Kilimanjaro’s Transport Modular Outdoor
Pack 65
104 THE SPIRIT OF ASG
Story by Phil Tobin
A Brief History of American Survival Guide
Magazine
70 THE BUSHCRAFTER
Story by Ryan Lee Price
Benchmade’s Answer to the Survivor’s
Question
108 ANATOMY OF A DITCH BAG
Story by Simon Meyers
What Goes into a Ditch Bag Before it Goes
into the Sea
98 SAND AND SALAD
Story by Larry Schwartz
Wild Foods Found at the Beach
URBAN 118 SIMPLE STAINLESS STOVE 112

STAND
20 THE LONG ARM OF SURVIVAL Esbit’s Compact Stove and Pot Stand
The Pros and Cons of Different Caliber Story by Thomas Sanchez
Handguns For Survival
Story by Paul Hantke
86 THE E STAFF
HOW-TO
Peace of Mind in the Palm of your Hand
26 A SOLAR STILL IN THE SAND
Story by Tim Ralston
How To Make Fresh Water in Coastal
Regions
88 PACK MENTALITY
Nitro-Pak’s 72-Hour Getaway Kit
Story by Ryan Lee Price
72 DOTS & DASHES 122
Communicating the Old Fashioned Way with
102 THE BLUE DOT
Morse Code
Brite-Strike’s Tactical Touch Flashlights
Story by Matthew Lee
Story by Gary Kimball
94 TINY SURVIVOR
PHOTO BY GUY SPANGENBERG
Build Your Own Mini Survival Kit

Story by William “Billy” Boggs
COLUMNS
120 QUICK SNACK FIRST WORDS 6
How to Bake Nutritious and Energy Packed NEW PRODUCTS 10
Survival Bars PREPPING WITH RALSTON 14
Story by Nikki Grey NEWS & NOTES 16
DEAD END 130
FEBRUARY 2015 < AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE 5

ASG-1502-EDIT 12/11/14 2:30 PM Page 6
FIRSTWORDS
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 / FEBRUARY 2015
Ryan Lee Price EDITORIAL

rprice@EngagedMediaInc.com Editor-in-Chief: Ryan Lee Price
Managing Editor: Ian Hamilton
Senior Creative Director: Eric Knagg
Art Director: Jesse Cao
CONTRIBUTORS
Bryan Dumas, Scott Fisher, Nikki Grey, Paul Hantke,
Adam Jones, Christopher Nyerges, Tim Ralston, Larry
Schwartz, Tori Tellem
Water World
DESCRIBED BY PLANETARY EXPLORERS as a Goldilocks planet, our solitary
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close—so that water is present in liquid form on its surface. No other planet in the Gennifer Merriday - Ad Traffic Coordinator
Solar System has the traits necessary to hold water in liquid form; most are way too DIRECT MARKETING GROUP
John Bartulin (866) 866-5146 ext. 2746
cold, like Neptune and Uranus, while the inner planets, like Mercury and Venus, Paul Caca (866) 866-5146 ext. 4961
are much too hot. The Earth does this in a big way, as 70 percent of its surface is Ryan Lauro (866) 866-5146 ext. 2756
covered in liquid water, trillions and trillions of gallons of it. Without it, life on this
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planet would not be possible, as human beings are composed mostly of water and Gus Alonzo: Newsstand Sales Manager
Celia Merriday: Newsstand Analyst
we need it daily to live comfortably. Mohit Patel: Newsstand and Production Analyst
Alberto Chavez: Senior Logistics & Facilities Manager
The big problem with the vast majority of the water on the planet is that it is not John Cabral: Creative Graphic Designer
potable; only three percent of the water found in liquid form on this planet is drink-
EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION & SALES OFFICE
able. And most of that is inaccessible to humans. The rest is salt water, which might 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200
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as well be poison if you were to drink it. It is a terrible irony the majority of people Ph: (800) 332-3330
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Water in the world’s oceans is a complex solution of minerals, decayed biologi-
AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE (ISSN 2331-8937)
cal matter, and the dissolved igneous rocks that have eroded into the sea over mil- Volume 4, Number 2 is published 12 times a year –
lions of years. At least 72 chemical elements are found in an average cup of sea January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August,
September/October, November, December. Engaged Media
water, the most being chloride (19.3 parts per thousand), followed by sodium (10.7 by Beckett, 22840 Savi Ranch Pkwy., Suite 200, Yorba Linda,
CA 92887. POSTMASTER: send address changes to
parts per thousand) and sulfate (2.7 parts per thousand). American Survival Guide c/o Engaged Media by Beckett, 4635
Desperation and clouded judgment have provoked many a man stuck in what he McEwen Road, Dallas, TX 75244. © 2015 by Beckett Media,
LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this
has concluded as a dire situation to drink salt water. Usually, the human body does issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. GST
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and eventually death. DEALER SALES
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A STORY OR PHOTO
into drinkable water. To some seasoned readers, Nygeres may be a familiar name. rprice@EngagedMediaInc.com
He is not only an accomplished survivalist writer with more than 14 books and
countless articles to his credit, but he originally wrote for American Survival Guide in
the 1990s. We are proud to have him back in the magazine, and we are sure his
expertise in many areas of survival will be of great value to the readers. ENGAGED MEDIA BY BECKETT
Nick Singh: Executive Director
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This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the

understanding that information presented is from
various sources from which there can be no warranty or
responsibility by Engaged Media by Beckett as to the legality,
completeness or technical accuracy.

ASG_1502_7 12/9/14 1:40 AM Page 7
ASG_1502_8 12/9/14 1:44 AM Page 8
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ASG-1502-PRODUCTS 12/9/14 1:17 AM Page 10
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1. SAFE POD • Magnesium fire starter

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Product: Guardian Survival Mini
The Survival Capsule is a personal Manufacturer: Survival Way
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with a 12-hour emergency glow
stick, 5-in-1 survival whistle,
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There is also sewing kit and a
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harness Straps multi-function pocket knife.
• Storage space (sufficient for five
day’s supply per person) Specifications
• Water storage (bladder or tank) • Small and compact
• Basic internal light • Fully stocked
• GPS • Water pouch
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• Total Length: 7.75 inches
• Blade Length: 3.5 inches

4
5
4. CLEAN WATER that can be easily transported
Product: Aquamira Water Treat- and safely disposed of by hospi-
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Manufacturer: Aquamira with paramedics and aid workers
Contact: aquamira.com throughout the world.
MSRP: $14.95
Specifications:
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Drops treat drinking water using • 24 grams
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clear, muddy, warm and cold series surgical stainless steel
water. Small size, portability and • Black electro-ferritic coating
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MSRP: $86.00 survival is truly unprecedented.
CNC machined from a thin strip of Specifications:

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can be folded into a tough, heavy- • Snug-fitting face seal is flexible
duty tool suitable for most types and comfortable
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nious folding operations turn the visibility
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8
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• Two gun pouches along with
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10 12
10. SURVIVAL used after the victim has been

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From great, easy-to-understand
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ASG-1502-RALSTON 12/9/14 1:24 AM Page 14
PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM RALSTON
PREPPING RALSTON WITH
BY TIM RALSTON
Timothy Bryan Ralston is an American inventor, veteran, adventurer, author and movie consultant for his expertise in the field of
survival and preparedness education. He is best known for his appearance in the powerful motivational film, The Compass, and
for being the international spokesperson in the launch of NatGeo’s No. 1-rated program, Doomsday Preppers.
Preparing for the Winter
As we have seen throughout the and harmful debris. All of these can pany winter, your structure needs to
country in the last couple of months, be extremely devastating for those be capable of holding up to them.
the cold season has a way of some- who have not taken precautions and Make all necessary improvements to
times sneaking up on people. The prepared alternative resources. your roof, windows, and insulation so
worst thing they can do is not In order to ensure your family that your home runs efficiently.
be prepared. stays safe, it is important you are Cut back dangerous trees. Many
proactive. Use these tips to guide of these storms can bring excessive
Why Prepare? you through home and vehicle pre- wind and snowfall that can cause the
During the cold season, many paredness. By doing so, you will be downfall of tree branches, or even the
regions across our nation experi- able to survive all that winter throws entire tree. Assess your property for
ence disastrous weather. From vio- at you. these hazards. Remove any limbs that
lent snow storms to below freezing may damage your vehicle or home.
temperatures, it can get quite brutal Prepare Your Home Purchase the right tools. Make
outside, sometimes even deadly. Make mandatory home repairs. It’s sure you have items on hand such as
A winter storm can create danger- time to give your home a little TLC. a good snow shovel, ice scraper and
ous road conditions, power outages With the harsh elements that accom- kitty litter for de-icing.

ASG-1502-RALSTON 12/9/14 1:24 AM Page 15
$6.99/100FT
Genuine 550 lb. Type III, 1/8" diameter
nylon Paracord with a seven strand core.
46 colors available.
Practice safety first. During a time

PHOTOS BY THINKSTOCK
of year where you will be using fire-

places, spaces heaters and candles,
be sure to take safety precautions.
Have your fireplace cleaned, keep fire
extinguishers on hand and never
leave open flames unattended. In PC101 White
5
5
addition, it is crucial that you always
check that there is proper ventilation
before using some of these items. PC102 Black
Gather Supplies
> Alternative Energy Sources – can- way to avoid this is to stay informed
PC103 Olive Drab 0
dles, flashlights and batteries, solar about road and weather conditions.
lantern DO NOT drive if there are warnings PC104 Coyote Brown
P
> Alternative Heating Sources regarding dangerous weather! Not
– kerosene space heater, portable only can it lead to fatal accidents, but
propane heater, blankets, wood being stuck out in freezing tempera- PC106 Charcoal
A
> Food Supplies – Prepare at least tures can be life threatening as well.
one-week supply of non-perishable If you are forced to survive in your
foods that do not require heating. car, be sure to have these essential PC108 Burgundy
> Water Storage – Store at least a provisions.
one-week supply of water (one gal-
lon per day per person).
> high calorie protein bars
> water/ juice boxes PC116 Colonial Blue R
“EVERY YEAR THERE ARE COUNTLESS STORIES OF MOTORISTS BEING PC118 Neon Orange A
STRANDED IN THEIR VEHICLES. THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO AVOID THIS
IS TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.” PC123 Solar Orange
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> Communication – Cellphone, solar
charger, windup crank radio
> blankets
> cell phone with lighter adapter
PC127 Desert Camo
O
> First Aid Kit > warm hat, mittens, and scarf (wool)
R
PC128 Foliage Camo
> Extra Medications – Request an > flashlight and batteries
extra one-week supply to keep for > multi-tool
emergencies. > first-aid kit PC140 G.I. Camo
D
> Personal Hygiene Products – Stock > medications/baby supplies
up on toiletries and baby supplies. > children’s comfort toys/entertain-
PC139 Galaxy
ment
Practice Car Preparedness > Car Supplies – jumper cables, spare Side Release Buckles
Every year there are countless sto- tire, ice scraper, shovel, sand or Durable plastic side release buckles
ries of motorists being stranded in kitty litter for traction, writing used to complete paracord bracelets.
Available in 3/8” and 5/8” sizes.
their vehicles. The most important material
Before the winter begins, check

that your vehicle is in tip top shape.
The last thing you would want is to
experience car troubles during the
PC993 3/8” (PKG OF 10) Assorted 6.95
season of frigid temps. Bring it in to PC995 5/8” (PKG OF 10) Assorted 6.95
JANTZ
have a check-up, and make any
needed repairs. Request routine
1-800-351-8900
maintenance to be done such as hav-
ing your oil changed, windshield
wipers replaced, your fluids topped
off, your tires rotated, etc…
knifemaking.com

ASG-1502-NEWS 12/9/14 1:26 AM Page 16
PHOTO COURTESY OF GM
Next-Generation 911
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW about the next-generation 911
system—called NG 911—is that it will utilize text-to-911.
Right now, that feature is available only in certain places
where 911 call centers have elected to accept emergency
text messages from the public, according to the Federal
Trade Commission. Companies providing text messaging
services will have begun the support of text-to-911 by the
end of 2014.
How Malibu Deals With

Emergencies—Without Police
or Fire Departments
MALIBU, CALIF. HAS A REPUTATION for a few things, like the
ocean, expensive homes, and fire season. But curiously, the city
doesn’t even have its own police or fire departments. However, it
does utilize a Community Emergency Response Team, Emergency
PHOTO BY MARSHALL THOMPSON
Services Coordinator Brad David explained. There are about 50

team members, who get trained to respond to disasters when
regular emergency services can’t provide immediate help, such as
an incident with a high number of victims or road closures.
Malibu also has Volunteers on Patrol, allowing civilian volunteers
to report suspicious activities or dangerous situation to the Los
Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

ASG-1502-NEWS 12/9/14 1:27 AM Page 17
“Our first step in

planning for these
challenges is to
identify the effects of
climate change on
the Department with
tangible and specific
metrics, using the
best available
science. We are
almost done with a
baseline survey to
assess the
vulnerability of our
military’s more than
7,000 bases, What Birds Can Teach Us About Survival
installations, and A STUDY PUBLISHED in eggshells of Gobipipus suggesting that this
the Royal Society are more porous than shape variation had
other facilities. In journal Open Science expected from their been attained in the
places like the revealed that the shape predicted size, Cenozoic.” The study
of bird eggs might be suggesting a mode of added, “As a
Hampton Roads how one particular incubation similar to concluding remark, it is
region in Virginia, lineage of birds that of crocodiles,” unclear why egg
survived the asteroid explained the authors of asymmetry evolved in
which houses the that killed off the the study. “An theropods. In some
largest concentration dinosaurs. “In very few interesting implication extant birds, however,
cases, however, of our results is that this asymmetry may be
of U.S. military sites separate evidence extinct Cenozoic bird related to the need for
in the world, we see suggests that some eggs fit squarely within adults to incubate
Mesozoic birds at least the range of shape clutches.” (Clutches are
recurrent flooding differed from extant variation of extant eggs.) Further research
today, and we are birds. For instance, the crown-group bird eggs, is underway.
beginning work to
address a projected
sea-level rise of 1.5
feet over the next 20 What’s Grey Water?
to 50 years.” CALIFORNIA IS FACING a serious water
drought, and one solution increasing in
—Department of Defense popularity is called grey water. It’s about the
2014 Climate Change use of recycled household water, such as from
Adaptation Roadmap report laundry or a bath. It can be used to water
and how it’s going to start lawns and indoor plants. Installing some of the
dealing with issues related systems could require an electrical and/or
to that topic plumbing permits. And since the water isn’t
treated, it shouldn’t be used for anything edible.

ASG-1502-NEWS 12/9/14 1:27 AM Page 18
Federal Aid Available

for Lava Flow
PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNED a Disaster
Declaration for Public Assistance due to lava
flow emanating from the Kilauea volcano in
Hawaii. This allows federal aid to be
available to help communities seeing the
lava flow moving their way, such as the
Pahoa village. The volcano has erupted from
its Pu’u O’o vent consistently since 1983.
Robots Take on Ebola

XENEX DISINFECTION SERVICES has created
“germ-zapping” robots for the fight against the
Ebola virus. The protocols include disinfection of
areas where an infected patient was as well as
protection for hospital staff and any personal
protection equipment that might have become
contaminated. In fact, the U.S. Air Force Langley
Hospital is already using a robot it nicknamed
Saul. It’s the first U.S. Air Force hospital to use
one. Patient rooms get cleaned by high-intensity
PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
UV rays (25,000 times brighter than fluorescent

lights) to “split open bacterial cell walls and kill
dangerous pathogens commonly found in
hospitals,” according to Xenex.

ASG-1502-NEWS 12/9/14 1:27 AM Page 19
Facebook Debuts
Safety Check
FACEBOOK HAS CREATED the Safety
Check tool, which will send you a
notification asking whether you’re safe if
it believes there’s been a natural disaster
in your vicinity. You can click on “I’m
safe” to let your friends/followers know,
plus you’ll be able to find out whether
they’ve checked in as safe as well.
Earthquake Warning System Due in 2016

CALIFORNIA IS EYEBALLING 2016 to roll out is early-warning system for Earthquakes.
A bill passed that mandated the creation of the system in 2014. A prototype system is
currently being tested, with favorable reviews. It would give 10 seconds—or possibly a
minute—of warning that an earthquake was coming.
PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK
PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK

ASG-1502-CONCEAL 12/9/14 1:30 AM Page 20
the
LONG ARM
OF SURVIVAL
THE PROS AND CONS OF DIFFERENT CALIBER HANDGUNS FOR SURVIVAL
Story and Photography by Paul Hantke
here is no doubt that a big part of most every survival situa-

tion is defense, protection and security against not only the
elements that threaten you – a hurricane, earthquake or
man-made disaster – but from the people who tend to be
less prepared than you are.
You have supplies, food, water and equipment that will need protec- “IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS,
tion, and your very life and the lives of your family and friends depend on ADVERTISING YOUR
it. A handgun is a perfect solution. It’s small and compact, easy to use,
and most of all concealable. In certain situations, advertising your inten-
INTENTIONS AND ABILITIES
tions and abilities with a rifle or a shotgun might attract more attention WITH A RIFLE OR A SHOTGUN
and trouble than you need or want. Your best bet is to have a handgun MIGHT ATTRACT MORE
that can be kept under wraps. ATTENTION AND TROUBLE
However, any conversation about concealable handguns for survival
needs a few qualifiers. We need to first establish exactly how concealable
THAN YOU NEED OR WANT.”
the gun needs to be, and then we need to determine if the gun is primarily
for self-defense or foraging for food. Finally, a decision needs to be made
about whether our goals can be accomplished with a single gun or if there
is room in the formula for two or more handguns to achieve our goals.

A Model 442 S&W

“snubbie” in .38 Special
or a small auto like this
custom Colt Mustang
from Terry Tussey in
.380 is plenty conceal-
able, but leaves some-
thing to be desired in
utility value.

If you wonder about concealability being an

issue, you have to look no further than the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when local
authorities took it upon themselves to go house
to house confiscating firearms from law-abid-
ing citizens. This left them easy prey for the bur-
glars who swooped into neighborhoods to loot,
steal and worse.
If you live in any kind of urban setting, you
are almost certainly talking primarily about a
concealable self-defense handgun that will be
the same in day-to-day use today as it would
be in some future kind of disaster scenario.
If you are like most of us and live in a city or
even a suburb outside the city, stop and take a
look around yourself. Your primary food sources
in the city will be pigeons, rats and household
[ABOVE] The classic S&W K-38 (top) is an excellent field gun. The Model 66 below it is pets. Nearby suburbs may add rabbits and
handier due to the four-inch barrel, more durable due to the stainless steel, and can
squirrels to the menu. How long do you think
be more powerful if you load it with the .357 Magnum.
these protein sources will last when everyone is
on the prowl? Different game animals and fowl
will be available well outside of town depend-
ing on what part of the country you live in, but
again, be realistic about the longevity of these
food sources when it’s every man for himself.
“IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY ONE

CONCEALABLE HANDGUN IN A SURVIVAL
SITUATION WHAT WOULD IT BE?”
So, lets presume the question is, “If you
could have only one concealable handgun in a
survival situation what would it be?”
Let’s start with semi-autos of different cal-
ibers. Lost or damaged magazines will turn
those handguns into single-shots, but for the
sake of this discussion we’ll assume proper
The long-slide Colt from Tussey Custom and the
long-slide Glock below it from Lone Wolf Distributors maintenance and careful handling on your part.
are chambered in the hot shot 9x25mm Dillon, which You’ll need to experiment beforehand to deter-
will run right along with a .357 Magnum.
mine the most reliable and accurate ammuni-
tion for your pistol and then you need to get a
good supply of it. I would set a minimum round
count of 1000 to be safe.
[RIGHT] This
Model 317 This won’t be a day at the range or an
from S&W is extended plinking session, but acquiring more
an excellent
candidate for
ammunition in an emergency probably will not
a survival be possible, and ammunition will be one of the
revolver. It’s an most valuable commodities for trade and barter
eight-shot .22
rimfire with a under tough circumstances. In a .22 rimfire, the
three-inch bar- Ruger semi-auto sets the standard here, with
rel, adjustable
the Browning Buckmark coming in a somewhat
sights, and a
scandium alloy distant second. Both guns are well-made, reli-
frame that able, and accurate enough for our purposes
makes it lighter
than the hol-
here. They can also be easily concealed.
ster in which You can kill just about anything that walks
it’s carried. the Earth with a .22 rimfire if you can get close

enough and deliver a round to the most vulner-

able and effective spot on the animal. I
wouldn’t count on that for starters, and as time
wears on after the trigger event that has put
you on this path the animals will get more and
more wary, as you will not be the only one chas-
ing them. Shotshell cartridges increase the ver-
satility of the .22 and other calibers, but they
have to be single-loaded into the chamber from
the magazine as they will not cycle the pistol.
Moving up to the .22 Magnum, we only have
a couple of choices: one from Kel-Tec and the
other from Excel Arms. Both are rather large for
concealment, but it could be done if you “dress
around” the gun. I have no experience with the
Kel-Tec, but the company has built a reputation
for innovative designs, reliability, accuracy, and
friendly pricing.
When it comes to the Excel Arms Accelera-
tor it’s a different story. I’ve done a lot of shoot-
ing with the pistol, and I purchased the test gun
because I was so impressed with it, especially
its superb accuracy. Besides being a real tack- [ABOVE] The author’s custom Glock from Lone Wolf Distributors has six-inch barrels in
10mm and 9x25mm Dillon for the long-slide and five-inch barrels in 10mm, .40S&W,
driver in .22 Magnum, the Accelerator also has
and .357 SIG to go with the stock top end.
an interchangeable barrel in .17 HMR that
shoots as well as the .22 Magnum and makes
the pistol even more versatile.
There are dozens of pistols available in the
.25 ACP, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP, and the good
news is they are all pretty concealable. The bad
news is that it’s pretty much a “something is
better than nothing” situation when it comes to
reliability and accuracy. Moving up from there
you’ll find the 9mm, 9x23mm, .38 Super,
9x25mm Dillon, .40 S&W, 10mm and .45 ACP,
each with its own character and application.
All are available in concealable handguns,
they are all good self-defense rounds and
plenty of medicine for small to medium game,
and the 9x25mm Dillon and 10mm run right on
the heels of the .357 Magnum and .41 Magnum
rounds fired from a revolver. For example, I just
tested some new 10mm ammo from Federal
that launches one of their superb 180-grain
bonded core softpoints at 1237 Feet Per Sec-
ond (FPS) from the stock five inch barrel of my Looking at revolvers and starting with the [ABOVE] The Accelera-
Glock, and 1358 FPS from the six-inch match .22s it’s a big world out there. Many folks pro- tor pistol from Excel
Industries has inter-
barrel and long slide from the Glock wizards at duce .22 rimfire and .22 Magnum revolvers with changeable nine-inch
Lone Wolf Distributing. a spectrum of barrel lengths, from two inches bull barrels in .22
Magnum and .17 HMR.
Those loads are churning up 612 FPE (Foot- out to eight, and even ten inches. Finding a well-
Pounds of Energy) from the five inch barrel shooting, concealable revolver that’ll do the job
and 737 FPE from the six-inch long slide for you is just a matter of hunting around until
assembly. Within reasonable handgun hunting you hit paydirt, and just about all the offerings
range that’s plenty of whack for just about will be reliable and acceptably accurate. There
anything that walks, and if they didn’t go down are lots of different loads in both .22 chamber-
immediately you can be sure you made them ing in addition to shotshells in various calibers
plenty wobbly! that will function in any revolver.

Long-Arm
Stepping up in bore size we come to the .32,

which includes the .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long,
a fairly anemic pair dating from early in the last
century. The .32 H&R Magnum from the mid-
80s is a great improvement, upping the veloci-
ties of matching bullet weights in older car-
tridges by 400 to 500 FPS. Finally, the almost
brand new .327 Federal is just a barn burner,
upping the .32 H&R velocities by another 300
to 400 FPS. There are no factory shotshells for
the .32 calibers, but I used to “roll my own” as
regular shotshells, shot capped with a round
ball, or two round balls stacked in the front of
the case. Those performed well, and I can only
assume the extra shot or ball load possible in
the longer .327 Federal case would be an
improvement on an already good thing.
“AS SOON AS CLINT EASTWOOD HISSED

THAT THE MAGNUM ROUND IN HIS S&W
MODEL 29 WITH A SIX-INCH BARREL MADE
[ABOVE] You have to read the barrels of these two stainless steel revolvers to tell
them apart. The S&W J-frame on top is a Model 63 in .22 rimfire, and the one below it IT “THE MOST POWERFUL HANDGUN ON
is a Model 651 in .22 Magnum. They both have four-inch barrels.
EARTH” YOU COULDN’T FIND ONE OF THOSE
REVOLVERS, ESPECIALLY AT LIST PRICE,
FOR QUITE A WHILE.”
Next we’re looking at one of the old stand-

bys, the .38 Special. This was the “cop gun” car-
tridge for several decades until it was sur-
passed by the .357 Magnum introduced in 1935.
Today you can have both flavors with a dizzying
array of bullets or factory shotshell loads.
The .41 Magnum was an idea that never
really took off even though those who tried it
often became converts. Despite being accurate,
a fairly flat-shooter, and mildly recoiling next to
the .44 Magnum, it just never got traction. Next
we have the old .44-40, the .44 Special, and
finally, its big brother, Dirty Harry’s favorite, the
.44 Magnum. The .44-40 was meant to feed
six-guns and rifles alike in the old west so a per-
son only had to carry one type of ammunition.
The .44 Special is a grand old cartridge
capable of some outstanding performance
using modern cases, powders, and guns, but
[ABOVE] The Ruger Sin- I have stainless steel S&Ws in both .22 the .44 Magnum was king of the hill for a long
gle Six with a five-inch
chamberings with four-inch barrels that pro- time after its introduction in 1955. As soon as
barrel and the stainless
S&W Model 631 with a vide the ultimate in durability, reliability, and Clint Eastwood hissed that the Magnum round
four-inch barrel are both concealability while being surprisingly accurate. in his S&W Model 29 with a six-inch barrel
chambered in the .32
H&R Magnum, which is a
The .22 Magnum is a step up from the .22 Long made it “the most powerful handgun on Earth”
good little round. Rifle and I note that Ruger is chambering their you couldn’t find one of those revolvers, espe-
new snubbie revolver for this cartridge, which is cially at list price, for quite a while.
in some ways mute testimony to its perfor- However, it turned out that many hapless
mance in a “belly gun”. buyers weren’t up to the challenge of full-

house Magnum loads. In fact, I once bought a

pristine six-inch Model 29 with a 50-round box
of ammo missing only six rounds, if that tells
you anything.
Finally, we come to the .45 Colt cartridge.
There was a shorter version first known as the
.45 Schofield, and later more powerful versions
like the .454 Casull and the .460 S&W, which The stainless, four-inch barreled
S&W Model 629 is Hantke’s go-to
are close enough to be called brethren. gun when cornered to pick just
It’s called the .45 Colt because one of its one handgun for survival.
first homes was the 1873 Colt Peacemaker and
it’s closely associated with that revolver. Origi-
nally producing around 750 to 800 FPS with a
250-grain bullet in the military loading, the
commercial civilian offering would clock in at
around 900 FPS with the same slug. It first
saw a rebirth with the modern sport of cowboy
shooting, where competitors use guns and car-
tridges from the old west while donning proper
garb and aliases. Like the .44 Special, the .45
Colt can be juiced up with modern brass, new
powders, and guns made with modern metal-
lurgy. The Casull is essentially a Magnum .45
Colt, and the .460 S&W is an attempt to split
the difference between the old Colt cartridge
and the Casull. I have fired exactly three
rounds of the Casull offering at a SHOT Show
Media Day, and I elected to not finish off the
cylinder-full that I started with in the Freedom
Arms revolver.
My personal handgun in that .45 Colt cham-
The S&W K-22 on top is a safe pick
bering was a stainless Ruger Bisley with a five- for a .22 rimfire with a six-inch barrel.
inch barrel that was a pussycat with the stan- But the rather rare Model 35 J-frame
below it wears the same six-inch bar-
dard loads, but quickly got your attention when rel and weighs a pound less.
firing some hot stuff from Buffalo Bore Ammu-
nition that would tread on the heels of the
Casull. You can shoot the milder .45 Colt loads
from the Casull chambered revolver, making it
easier to handle and more economical to feed.
Yes, there are factory shotshells available for
the .38/.357, the .44 Special/.44 Magnum, and
the .45 Colt/.454 Casull, and each one is better
than the last as you go up in bore size, and all
three put the .22 LR/.22 Magnum shells to
shame with pellet size and pattern density. Can
you conceal these medium to big bores? For
most of them, depending upon barrel length,
all you need is the right holster and a proper
covering garment. In closing, let me acknowl-
edge the existence of the .50 S&W, but we’re
not going there today! Top to bottom
I have been asked many times what my and left to right you
have shotshells in .22
choice would be if I could have only one
rimfire, .22 Magnum, .38
sidearm, and my answer is either one of my Special/.357 Magnum,
four-inch S&W 629s, with the little four-inch 9mm, .40 S&W, .44
Special/.44 Mag-
stainless J-frame Model 51 coming in close num, and .45
second. Colt.

ASG-1502-SOLARSTILL 12/9/14 1:42 AM Page 26
HOW-TO POTABLE WATER
A
Solar Still
in the Sand
HOW TO MAKE FRESH WATER IN COASTAL REGIONS
Story and Photography by Christopher Nyerges
ou’re at the ocean. equipped sailor can phone or radio for discovered his crew was able to mix up
There is water. There is help. But what if you’re out to sea to 40 percent ocean water with 60
water everywhere but unexpectedly, without adequate percent fresh water to extend their
not a drop to drink. Or is water. What can you do? supplies. They experienced no ill
there? In the reports I’ve collected on effects, and noted this blend
Are there any ways to get potable sailors who survived when their ship quenched the thirst better than
water when you’re stuck somewhere floated out in the ocean, for 30 days or straight water.
near an ocean? Let’s explore the many more, the survivors all have a few Other survivors reported they
possibilities, and one of these just things in common. would drink ocean water, but only in
might be the solution that you’ll need. One solution to diminishing fresh little sips, little by little. Salty ocean
water is to mix your fresh water with water is not inherently poisonous, as is
STRANDED ON A BOAT ocean water. Thor Heyerdahl (see box) commonly believed. It contains
A growing number of anthropolo- sodium chloride, potassium chloride,
gists are of the belief that the oceans and perhaps 20 more suspended min-
in the past were not barriers to erals. If you were to drink it like regular
human travel, but were the actual water, the result is usually vomiting
“highways” from which people trav- and diarrhea, and a net water loss. But
eled great distances. The well- slow sipping, never really enough at
charted currents can take a sail boat one time to quench the thirst, can be
from the Mediterranean to the done if you discipline yourself. It has
Caribbean, just as it did Columbus a been done, and it might stave off
few hundred years ago. And the path dehydration.
of the trade winds are not devoid of Regular intake of fresh water is
food, as you might think. Along the important, of course. But now your
trade paths there are seaweeds, canteens and jugs are totally empty.
ocean birds, lots of fish, turtles – all What can you do?
the things that can sustain life on If you planned ahead, you could set
long voyages. out your distillation device, fill it with
But what happens when your water ocean water, and suck out some
supply runs out? Today, the well- potable water in a few hours.

A simple still can be made with two

buckets and sheets of plastic. It’s not
perfect, and it’s not highly efficient,
but it will distill out drinkable water.
The simplest version is to place one
bucket into another, and put ocean
water into the space between the
buckets.You may have to put a rock or a
weight into the inner bucket so it stays
put. Then you cover this with a sheet of
clear plastic, secure the plastic with a
cord, and put a weight or rock in the
middle of the plastic to create a cone-
shape in the middle. As the ocean
water evaporates, pure water con-
denses on the bottom of the plastic
and drips into the inner bucket. No, this
is not perfect, and if you’re in a boat
that’s constantly moving and rocking,
you may not capture a lot of pure water
in your inner bucket. Still, it’s worth try-
ing if you have the supplies.
But let’s assume you have no such
device. What now?
DEW
Another possible source of water
could be dew. By stretching and tying
out a sheet of plastic, you could cap-
ture dew during the night. The sheet of
plastic would need to be tied out, and
have a slope that leads into a con-
tainer. As the dew settles and coa-
lesces, it drains into the container.
Since this is wholly dependant on
weather conditions, you might get a
little and you might get a lot. There
tends to be more dew during the
nights when the daytime is clear.
RAIN
It also rains out at sea, and again, if
you stretch out a sheet of plastic, and
slope it so that it drains into a bucket,
you can capture rain water. In the field,
I have collected a gallon in less than 15
minutes during a downpour. How
much you can actually collect is deter-
mined by how hard it’s raining, and the
size of your collection device (that is,
the size of your sheet of plastic).
There are not a lot of options for these are some of the less likely ways of the ”leaf.” These can be cut open
your water when you are stranded to capture some palatable water. and the liquid inside is typically less
unexpectedly at sea. But survivors tell saline than the ocean. There is not a
interesting tales, and though you SEAWEED lot of water in each of these floats –
might not hear all these options in Some, but not all, seaweeds, have maybe a half-teaspoon per float – but
your favorite glossy “survival manual,” flotation bubbles, usually at the base they could add up.

Solar Still
BIRDS, FISH, TURTLES

If you’ve managed to capture any
of the animals who inhabit the sea for
your meals, you might be surprised at
the amount of liquid in their bodies.
You can drain this out, strain it, and
drink it. No, I didn’t say this was the
best source of water, and I didn’t say
you’d necessarily like it. But it is a
source of needed liquid.
URINE?
No, no, no! Urine is your body’s
waste product. You could use urine to
cool down, but why do that since you
have the ocean all around? Urine is
functional to treat chapped skin, but
don’t ever drink it!
STRANDED ON THE BEACH

Let’s say you’ve beached up on
some unknown shore. There are no
towns or villages around where you
can get some water or help. Where do
you get your water?
Are you in the South Pacific? Are
there coconuts growing on your beach?
Seriously, you can get a coconut,
remove the outer husk, and using an
awl-like device, cut into one of the
three “eyes.” If your timing was right,
you’ll have some sweet and nourishing
water. If not, the coconut could be dry,
or the water could be sour.
NO COCONUTS?
TRY DIGGING FOR WATER
One way to obtain water from the
beach areas is to simply dig a well
above the high tide line. The beach will
likely be very sandy and so it will be
hard to dig a deep hole as the sand
continually falls back into the hole. But
keep at it, and dig deeper than the
water level. Wait awhile for the water
to clarify. This water is significantly
less saline than the ocean water
directly, and you may be able to obtain
your needed water this way.
SAND STILL
If you have a sheet of plastic, you
can build a makeshift water still,
exactly the same as desert travelers
make. You dig a hole, maybe three feet
deep and three feet across. Put a con-
tainer in the middle. Cover the hole

with a large sheet of clear plastic, and some method of purification. Just
put a pebble in the middle so there is a because you found a stream that
down-ward pointing cone of plastic. flows into the ocean doesn’t mean you
Assuming it is sunny, the water in can drink it without reservation.
the soil will be constantly evaporating The simplest method for purifying
out into the atmosphere, except your water of biological contaminants is
plastic sheet will capture the conden- boiling, which necessitates the ability
sation, and the cone-shape will cause to make a fire (a subject for a future
the distilled water to drip back into article), and some sort of container – a
your inner container. While you may discarded metal can will work fine.
not get all of your water this way, you
should be able to get at least some of EXPERIMENT
it through this method. These methods described cover
the possibilities in most situations. But
STREAMS there may be other options too. The
impure water
Don’t forget that streams flow into thing to keep in mind is that water is
the ocean. Explore around and look for just about everywhere, and this is cer- pure water
springs and streams, whose water will tainly true at the beach. The key is to
not have to be distilled. find potable water, or find some
By the way, distillation is a water method to make the ocean water
purification method, so if the water drinkable.
you obtained was from one of the dis- Don’t panic, stay calm, and don’t
tillation methods, it is safe to drink. be afraid to experiment in your efforts
Otherwise, you might have to consider to find a solution.
Is Salt Water
Poisonous?
SOLAR STILL When we refer to ocean water as
salt water, you would think we’re
Cross Section talking about water with sodium
chloride. In fact, ocean water
contains 20 or more suspended
minerals. The toxic quality of
ocean water has more to do with
the way people have consumed
it during emergencies, rather
than its inherent quality. Rapid
drinking and gulping in order to
quench one’s thirst is often a cul-
prit, since this way of consuming
ocean water can lead to vomiting
and a net loss of water.
On the other hand, virtually
everyone who has survived a
shipwreck or whose ship was
stranded at sea consumes ocean
water. These survivors disci-
plined themselves to sip — never
1. Sheet of plastic, 5 to 6 ft. diameter. Soil around the edges holds the plastic in place.
gulp — the ocean water. Some
Note the condensation on the bottom of plastic.
survivors report mixing a major-
2. Smooth, egg-sized rock to from cone.
ity of fresh water with some
3. Cup to catch water.
ocean water worked well to
4. Drinking tube, 1⁄4” diameter, approximately 5 ft. long.
extend supplies.
5. Tube to allow urine in regularly without opening still. Note funnel at top.
6. Broken cacti and other vegetation placed in hole.

ASG-1502-SEAWEED-CX-p31 12/12/14 12:25 AM Page 30
BACKCOUNTRY SEAWEED
KELP
Keeping You Alive
SEAWEED AS A SURVIVAL FOOD Story and Photography by Christopher Nyerges
Y
ou’re visiting the beach, walking in the sand, taking in the salty The colors of the different sea-
air as the wind beats the waves. And as the undulating waves lap weeds generally determine their
at your feet, you notice the familiar fronds in the sand and the botanical classification as either
multi-colored leafy structures on the rocks. You pick one up. It’s green, brown, or red marine algae.
a bit slimy, sticky, smelly. You give it a more careful sniff. It’s Although all seaweeds contain
actually a refreshing odor, reminiscent of the sea. chlorophyll, they are distinctly col-
ored by pigments, and that pigmen-
You’ve discovered seaweeds. ther north one goes, the greater the tation plays an important role in
Most people know seaweeds diversity. their classification.
when they see them at the beach, In general, the seaweeds have leaf-
whether they are floating in the surf, like fronds, stipes that resemble the Brown Algae
lying on the beach in piles, or grow- stems of terrestrial plants, and hold- The color, which ranges from
ing all over the rocks. They grow in a fasts that resemble roots. Some sea- brown to muddy yellow, comes from
large array of colors, sizes and weeds are very delicate, and others the pigment fucoxanthin. Although
shapes. The kelps are perhaps the are very tough and almost leathery. this group includes some small,
most conspicuous along the west Many have hollow sections — “floats” almost microscopic members, larger
coast, with their long stipes and — that allow them to float more read- seaweeds with leathery textures pre-
characteristic fronds. They often lie ily. Others are like thin sheets of wet dominate. The variety of shapes
in masses on the beach. And the far- plastic, such as the sea lettuce. ranges from several-hundred-feet-

long kelps, to whip-like fronds, to

leaf-like structures of one to three
feet in diameter.
All large brown algae (this
includes several genera of kelp, plus
rockweed, and sargassum) anchor
themselves to rocks. This anchoring
is accomplished by means of hold-
fasts, which are structures similar in
appearance to roots of land plants.
Their tough outer layer renders
them relatively immune to being
rubbed by fish and to the beating
they receive when they’re broken off
and washed ashore. They’re held
upright by hundreds of air bladders. Eating Seaweed toxic seaweed, assuming you follow
There are approximately 1,000 Seaweeds are not only very tasty our guidelines listed below.
species of brown algae worldwide. (when prepared properly), but they
are also very nutritious. They are Cautions
Red Algae probably the closest thing you can Some seaweeds are unpalatable
On the whole, the red algae are come to a “fast food” when you’re in due to their rubbery texture, and
smaller than the browns. They’re the wild. rigid structure, which can usually be
also more delicately shaped, often In general, seaweeds can be used overcome by drying and powdering
appearing as graceful, branching as foods, food seasoning, medicine or by various cooking methods.
ferns in hues ranging from violet, to and nutritional supplement, and What works for one seaweed may
red, to purple, to pink. Some are other utilitarian uses. not work for another. Where possi-
lance shaped with wrinkly margins; When I was originally research- ble, talk to the local people who use
others have wide elastic fronds, and ing seaweeds in the 1970s as a jour- seaweeds. Only by experience will
look like sheer sheets of plastic with nalist and student botanist, I inter- you be able to learn which seaweeds
ruffled margins. Some grow as thin viewed botanists, marine biologists, are more palatable than others. As
filaments or leaf-like structures. and seaweed specialists. Some you experiment, don’t rely only on
The reds include the well-known believed that all seaweeds — all of your taste buds’ first reaction—try
Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), laver the nearly 10,000 macroscopic vari- ingenious ways of using seaweeds.
(Porphyra spp.), and dulse (Rhody- eties — are a completely nontoxic Here are some of the common-
menia palmata). There are approxi- group of plants, and most agreed sense precautions you should take if
mately 2,500 species of red algae. that these are safe to consume. The you’re going to try eating seaweeds:
more conservative viewpoint sug- Never eat any seaweed that has
Green Algae gested that one should take the time been sitting on the beach, rotting
These also grow as filaments or to learn each individual seaweed you and attracting flies. Seaweed that has
branching fronds. The most com- intend to eat. This viewpoint had to already begun to decompose con-
monly eaten seaweed in this group is do with the fact that there are so tains bacteria that will cause sickness
sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca), which actu- many seaweeds, and not all have if eaten.
ally looks like a thin sheet of lettuce been studied enough to make such a Be sure to thoroughly wash your
attached to a rock. Though most blanket statement. seaweed before consumption. This
green algae are found in fresh water, Nevertheless, seaweeds are eliminates any adhering sand and
there are approximately 5,000 regarded as highly nutritious and potentially harmful substances. A
species of marine green algae. generally edible, and we know of no suggested method, especially if the

purity of the ocean water is ques-

tionable, is to wash the seaweed in
your bathtub or sink. First wash in
hot water with a small amount of
biodegradable soap, then drain.
Repeat the wash and drain process
three times in the hottest tap water
possible. Finally, rinse at least once
in non-soapy water. Then you can
dry the seaweed or cook it into a
variety of recipes.
Any seaweeds growing near a
sewage effluent or by mouths of
rivers, bays, or inlets where pollution weeds used for food. With the many One of my favorite recipes from
is being dumped readily pick up the books written about seaweeds, you the kelp seaweed is made from the
toxins. Such seaweeds should not be can find recipes for each of the com- floats, which are the swollen hollow
eaten. Unfortunately, much of the monly-used seaweeds, and practice bubble at the base of each frond. I
Southern California coastline south preparing them. And I encourage cut them off, wash them, and then
of Malibu should be considered pol- you to experiment! soak them in jalapeño juice or other
luted. This means that you have to Unless you are lost and haven’t pickling liquids. These floats will
use some common sense when col- the time to experiment or research, take on the flavor of whatever they
lecting seaweed for food, and you there are many sources of informa- are seasoned with, and they are
should thoroughly wash any sea- tion today with many specific served like jalapeño peppers or
weed you intend to eat. recipes and methods of preparation other garnishes.
for seaweeds. Those seaweeds that can be eaten
Eating Seaweeds raw can be either eaten fresh (from
Seaweeds can be used in a variety sea or beach) or dried first and then
of ways. Some—such as the sea let- chewed like jerky. Boiling is pre-
tuce, which actually looks like sheets ferred in some cases where the sea-
of sheer lettuce growing right on the weeds are bone-dry. Others become
rocks—can be washed and added more palatable after cooking (up to
raw to salads. Others seaweeds are 30 minutes) in water; both the result-
best dried and crumbled, and used ing broth and the seaweed will usu-
as a seasoning for other foods. Some ally be very good. When the broth
seaweeds can be diced and added to cools, it will normally gel, making it
soups and stews. And nearly all can useful in various dessert items.
be simply dried and powdered and Dried and powdered/shredded
then used as a salt substitute or fla- seaweed is an excellent item to carry
vor enhancer. in your survival pack. Placed in a pot
If you live near the Atlantic, of water with other wild vegetables,
Pacific, or other coast and have easy seaweed makes the closest thing to
access to seaweeds, I encourage you instant soup that’s available from
to research the many specific sea- the wild.

PUBLIC DOMAIN IMAGE

Most of the hollow stalks and air Iodine, necessary for the proper func-
bladders of the brown algae can be tioning of the thyroid gland, has been
eaten raw or pickled. I’ve tried the used for the treatment of goiter for
following recipe with the air blad-
ders of the Pacific Coast kelp, and
over 5,000 years. Goiter is an enlarge-
ment of the thyroid gland, visible as a
Red Tide
found it delicious! Pack approxi- swelling on the front of the neck. When we’re speaking of seaweeds here,
mately 100 raw air bladders (alone or In his book on nutrition, Are You we’re speaking of macroscopic marine
with other pickling vegetables, such Confused?, Paavo Airola lists kelp as 1 algae, not microscopic algae. There is some-
as cauliflower, onion, and sliced car- of the 10 plants that help the body’s thing called “red tide” that causes the
rot) into clean quart jars. Add apple glands reach their peak of healthy ocean to look red, and presents a possible
cider vinegar until the air bladders activity. Many seaweeds — most hazard if you’re going to collect seaweeds
are nearly covered, and then add one commonly kelp — when powdered for food. The hazard is actually minor, but
to two tablespoons of cold-pressed yield potassium chloride, a salt sub- you should be aware of this.
olive oil. Sprinkle in your favorite stitute. This is a godsend particularly According to the U.S. National Oceanic
pickling herbs (such as dill seed, tar- for those who must restrict the and Atmospheric Administration, “Harmful
ragon, and celery powder), and add amount of sodium chloride in their algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies
approximately 10 freshly sliced garlic diet. By dry weight, kelp is about 30 of algae — simple plants that live in the sea
cloves. Cap tightly and shake once or percent potassium chloride. and freshwater — grow out of control while
twice a day for a few days. These air The gelatinous material extracted producing toxic or harmful effects on people,
bladders can then be eaten as is or as by boiling seaweeds can also be used fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds.
a side to Mexican dishes as a chili as a remedy for burns and bruises or The human illnesses caused by HABs, though
pepper substitute. as a hand lotion. rare, can be debilitating or even fatal.
Many seaweeds can serve the One hundred grams of dulse con- “While many people call these blooms
same thickening function as okra tain 3.2 grams of fat, 296 milligrams ‘red tides,’ scientists prefer the term harm-
does in soups. Tender seaweeds can of calcium, 267 milligrams of phos- ful algal bloom. One of the best known
be added directly to soups; the less phorus, 2,085 milligrams of sodium, HABs in the nation occurs nearly every sum-
tender seaweeds are better broken and 8,060 milligrams of potassium. mer along Florida’s Gulf Coast. This bloom,
into bits, blended in an electric One hundred grams of Irish moss like many HABs, is caused by microscopic
blender to a fine mush, then strained contains 1.8 grams of fat, 2.1 grams algae that produce toxins that kill fish and
through a fine mesh or muslin cloth of fiber, 17.6 grams of ash, 885 mil- make shellfish dangerous to eat. The toxins
to remove the solids. Then bottle, ligrams of calcium, 157 milligrams of may also make the surrounding air difficult
label and refrigerate. This liquid can phosphorus, 8.9 milligrams of iron, to breathe. As the name suggests, the
then be used as the soup or gravy 2,892 milligrams of sodium, and bloom of algae often turns the water red.
base, substituting for flour. The 2,844 milligrams of potassium. One “HABs have been reported in every U.S.
strained-out pulp also has many hundred grams of kelp contain 1,093 coastal state, and their occurrence may be
uses — it can be cooked into home- milligrams of calcium, 240 mil- on the rise. HABs are a national concern
made ice cream as a smoother/stabi- ligrams of phosphorus, 3,000 mil- because they impact not only the health of
lizer, can be used for compost, ligrams of sodium and 5,273 mil- people and marine ecosystems, but also
mulch, or earthworm food, or can be ligrams of potassium. local and regional economies.
added to animal foods. “But not all algal blooms are harmful.
Seaweeds have long been used in Other Uses Most blooms, in fact, are beneficial because
clambakes. When heated, they give The long flat stipes of some sea- the tiny plants are food for animals in the
off a steam that adds flavor to other weeds, if treated with a leather soft- ocean. In fact, they are the major source of
food being cooked near them. Thus, ener, can be used as an interim lash- energy that fuels the ocean food web.
seaweed is thrown directly into large ing/binding material (preferably in “A small percentage of algae, however,
fire pits next to meat, seafood, pota- places where they won’t get wet). produce powerful toxins that can kill fish,
toes, corn and so on. Seaweeds can The long hollow stipes of some of shellfish, mammals, and birds, and may
also flavor and help steam foods at the kelps have been used as fishing directly or indirectly cause illness in people.
home if you add a layer of them to lines for deep-sea fishing by Native HABs also include blooms of non-toxic
both the bottom and top of any large Americans in Alaska. These same species that have harmful effects on marine
pot or roasting pan containing meat stipes, along with any of the stringy ecosystems. For example, when masses of
or vegetables. segments of seaweeds, can, if the algae die and decompose, the decaying
need arises, be woven into moc- process can deplete oxygen in the water,
Medicinal Uses casins, mats, baskets, and pot hold- causing the water to become so low in oxy-
Most iodine is obtained from two ers, and even be used for short-term gen animals either leave the area or die.”
sources: brown algae and red algae. furniture and clothing repair.

ASG-1502-ZAMPERINI 12/9/14 1:49 AM Page 34
Stories of Survival:
Louis 47 DAYS ON THE OPEN OCEAN
Story by Bryan Dumas
Zamperini
O
n Thursday September 20th, 1945, the Daily Times-Tri-
bune of Alexandria, Indiana — beneath a photo of the
hulking wreckage of the Mitsubishi factory destroyed
by the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki —
announced to friends and family that First Lt. Russell
Allen Phillips’ horrific ordeal had finally ended. What began as a sim-
ple search and rescue mission in the Pacific became a 47-day fight for
survival and subsequent imprisonment in two of Japan’s worst camps.
Like the newspaper article, for Russell Allen Phillips the war
passed quietly into history. Years later, his daughter would remark
that her father was a quiet, modest man who didn’t talk much about
his experiences in the war. Others, like Kesling Middle School Social
Studies teacher Robert Burns, had no idea that the man in the science
classroom next door had spent nearly two months adrift in the middle
PHOTO COURTESY OF LOUIS ZAMPERINI
of the Pacific Ocean with little food and nearly no water. For over a
decade, Mr. Burns desperately tried to make World War II come alive
for his students, and next door was one of the greatest stories of them
all. It wasn’t until Mr. Burns started talking with Cecile Phillips, Rus-
sell’s wife, that the remarkable story came out.
Allen, as friends and colleagues knew him in his hometown of La
Porte, Indiana, graduated from La Porte High School in 1934 and
earned a degree in forestry from Purdue University. He joined the
U.S. air corps a month before the attack at Pearl Harbor. After a bomb-
ing raid on Nauru, Allen earned special distinction awards for piloting
his crippled B-24 home despite missing one rudder, having the
hydraulic system completely shot away, and nearly 600 bullets holes
“WHAT BEGAN AS A SIMPLE tearing through the plane his crew nicknamed Superman.
SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION IN Allen’s World War II experiences were detailed in his bombardier
THE PACIFIC BECAME A 47-DAY Louis Zamperini’s book Devil At My Heels. After the Nauru raid and
with Superman out for repairs, Allen’s beleaguered crew was settling in
FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL AND for some rest when news came in of a B-25 going down somewhere in
SUBSEQUENT IMPRISONMENT IN the Pacific 200 miles north of Palmyra. Allen quickly volunteered his
TWO OF JAPAN’S WORST CAMPS.” crew for the rescue mission.
The only plane left at the base was one that the flight crews called a
“musher”. Mushers were planes that flew tail below nose and couldn’t
get off the ground with a bomb load. This one, the Green Hornet, was
used on the daily vegetable runs between the air base and Hawaii. She
also served as a surrogate for parts needed on other B-24s.

Despite her limitations, Allen and his

crew set off for the downed B-25 on May 27,
1943. At 1830, the plane was wheels up and it
would be the last time that Allen would see
land for the next 46 days. When they arrived
at the B-25’s last known location, Allen found
the area covered in clouds. He flew to 8000
feet so that Zamperini could get a better
view. Quickly, without warning, the number
one engine (left outboard) sputtered, shook
violently, and died. Aboard was a new engi-
neer—Superman’s regular engineer was
injured over Nauru—who rushed to the
cockpit and attempted to “feather” engine
number one, or turn the blades of the dead
engine edges to the wind to help reduce
drag. But, in his excitement, he feathered the
number two engine instead. Now, the Green
Hornet, a plane that could barely get airborne
with all four engines, was flying with two
engines on the right side only. There was lit-
tle that Allen could do; he increased power
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOUIS ZAMPERINI
hoping to keep the plane aloft long enough to

restarted engine number two. It was no use.
The Green Hornet rolled to the left and spun
toward the Pacific. He quickly ordered his
crew to their stations and prepare for a crash.
Less than two minutes elapsed and the Green
Hornet tumbled left wing and nose first into
the ocean.
Allen ended up in the Pacific clinging to
an auxiliary gas tank, a triangular gash on his
head, but alive. Beside him was his tail gun-
ner Francis McNamara. In the water, floating
amidst the oil slick flames and debris was
Zamperini. The three men were the only sur-
vivors of the crash.
Zamperini quickly gathered one of the
ejected life rafts and got both Allen and
McNamara out of the water. They all knew
that Allen’s bleeding gash would quickly
attract sharks. What they didn’t realize was
that those sharks would be their worst night-
mare for the next 47 days. Zamperini dressed
Allen’s wounds and rowed the small raft
after a second one that was drifting in the a knife. As Zamperini took inventory of the
currents nearby. He knew they’d need the supplies he realized they were without a
supplies. With the two rafts lashed together, knife. In its place, there was a pair of pliers.
Mac and Zamperini moved Allen into the “I swear I almost started to search for the
second one to rest. “Zamp,” Allen said, raft’s trademark to see if it was made in Ger-
“You’re the captain now,” Zamperini would many or Japan. Some dummkopf had put in
later recall in his book. pliers when everyone knows that no matter
In the popular television show NCIS, the where you are, on land or sea or in the air,
lead agent Leroy Gibbs has a series of rules you need a knife,” he writes in his book.
that he demands his team commit to mem- The three men had two rafts between
ory. The rule that is most often cited in the them, six bars of chocolate (each meant to
series is Rule #9: Never go anywhere without last a week and fortified with vitamins, min-

Louis Zamperini
erals and protein), and eight half-pint tins of

water. As darkness settled in, a cold wrapped
itself around the men. They scooped water
from the ocean and let their bodies warm it
so they could find some rest.
The following morning, Zamperini and
Allen found the chocolate was gone. Mac had
eaten all six bars. They had no food.
The next two days the men watched as
planes from their own squadron flew past
them but they didn’t spot the flares fired
from the raft. They were alone. Well, not
completely. They’d acquired a following of
sharks. What was assumed to be a couple
days at sea and then rescue was quietly
accepted as a longer stay at sea.
The eight tins of water would run out
quickly. In order to get water, Zamperini
used the canvas cover for the air pumps to
catch what rainwater would drift over them.
Some days, the clouds would skirt their raft;
they went for seven days without a drop of
rain. Other days a small shower would allow
them to catch some water. They drank their
fill and then used their mouths to transfer
the water from the canvas cover to the empty
tins. They did this because it was nearly
impossible to pour out the precious few
drops of water in a turbulent raft and by
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOUIS ZAMPERINI

using their mouths they also kept the salt
water from spoiling their scant supply.
With the water supply issue solved, they
had to move on to food. After Mac’s selfish-
ness with the chocolate, the men turned to
the sea for food. On occasion, the waves
would toss small fish into their raft. Allen
and Zamperini had to stop Mac from eating
the fish. Both men knew that they could use water by its tail. Allen’s job was to ram a
the tiny fish as bait for a larger reward. spent flare cartridge into its mouth and
Their survival gear included a can of hooks Zamperini would drive the screwdriver end
in varying sizes and some line. But each of the pliers through the shark’s eye and
time they’d try to cast for fish, the sharks into its brain. They knew enough not to eat
tailing them would steal the hooks and bait raw shark meat, but they were able to enjoy
leaving them with nothing. However, the a bloody meal of shark liver. “THEY KNEW
sharks were not always bad. Zamperini fig- But small pilot fish and shark was not the ENOUGH NOT TO EAT
ured out a way to catch the pilot fish that
swam side by side with the sharks: He tied
only source of meat for the men. Gracefully
gliding the thermals high above them the
RAW SHARK MEAT,
hooks to his thumb, index and little finger men watched albatrosses soar in the blue BUT THEY WERE
and hung it in the water. When the sharks skies. Despite sailor’s superstition, the three ABLE TO ENJOY A
swam up for a closer look, Zamperini would of them knew that if the opportunity pre- BLOODY MEAL OF
grab one of the pilot fish and they would be sented itself, they’d eat one. They used the
able to eat that day. On the rare occasion albatrosses’ natural desire to roost after eat-
SHARK LIVER.”
that a small three- to four-foot shark would ing to their advantage. Known to perch atop
swim by, the men worked together to wres- the masts of sailing ships in the middle
tle it into the raft. Zamperini would hang ocean, an albatross will use anything they
the bait over the edge of the raft and as the can to rest. One afternoon, while the men
shark swam past he would yank it out of the slept, an albatross landed near Zamperini’s

ASG_1502_37 12/11/14 2:31 PM Page 37
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A screen shot from

Universal Studios'
Unbroken, the true
story of Louis
Zamperini, starring
Jack O'Connell as
PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Zamperini.
“THREE FEET BENEATH THEIR RAFT, Instead of rescue, they were greeted with
bullets. A Japanese sally bomber had spotted
SWIMMING WITH SEVEN-FOOT SHARKS, them and decided to utilize the raft as a tar-
THE MEN WATCHED AS THEIR RAFT WAS get for practice. The men knew that if they
went into the water, the bullets wouldn’t get
STRAFED WITH BULLETS.” them. Three feet beneath their raft, swim-
ming with seven-foot sharks, the men
watched as their raft was strafed with bullets.
head. Slowly, cautiously, he moved his hands They spent the next few days repairing their
up and caught the bird by its feet. The wres- raft by cannibalizing the raft that Allen had
tled with the bird, fought against its razor been convalescing in.
sharp beak and finally wrung its neck. They On the 32nd day at sea, Allen and Zam-
cut the bird up, but found they couldn’t eat it. perini noticed that Mac wasn’t as active.
The smells were too foul. They tossed the Though all three men had lost so much
carcass overboard but vowed to eat the next weight—Zamperini figured they were all
one they caught. less than 75 pounds—it was Mac that
After a few weeks at sea, the men realized seemed to be affected the most. A few hours
that they would need to keep their minds after midnight on the 33rd day, Mac died
active and sharp in order to survive. Allen’s and the two men buried him at sea the fol-
father was a minister — and was serving as a lowing morning.
chaplain in France — and Allen taught the On the 46th day, Allen and Zamperini saw
other men some of the songs from church. land for the first time since they’d left the air
Allen would lead and the men would sing base on the Green Hornet. They were too far
along with him. They told stories of their away to be certain and they’d have to survive
past: Allen told about life in Indiana — about a stormy night and hope their raft wasn’t
the Indianapolis 500 and how he’d pack a blown away from land. The next morning the
lunch for the family and spend the entire men were greeted with two Japanese zeros in
day. He told them about life in La Porte and combat practice overhead and what looked
how he wanted to go back and become a like an island with two trees. But the island
schoolteacher. After three weeks, Allen’s was moving. It was a Japanese patrol ship.
bandages were removed and he did more Allen and Zamperini had survived their
around the raft. The men spent days ordeal at sea, only to be captured and sent to
wrestling the raft in storms and ocean swells camps. Two years later, Russell Allen Phillips
of over 25 feet and they spent days in the returned to his hometown and became the
doldrums, drifting on water as smooth as schoolteacher he had told Zamperini and
glass with vibrant sunrises and sunsets and Mac he would be. He would keep his ordeal
the colorful albatrosses coloring the sky private. First Lt. Russell Allen Phillips passed
above them. away on December 18, 1998, but his heroic
On the 27th day out, the men saw what struggle for survival lives on as one of the
they thought was a B-25. They rose from their greatest triumphs of the human body and
seats and waved their shirts and shouted. mind today.

ASG_1502_39 12/9/14 2:30 AM Page 39
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ASG-1502-MACHETTE 12/9/14 1:51 AM Page 40
BACKCOUNTRY MACHETE REVIEW
HalfaChance is a
20-inch long drop-point,
flat-grind parang styled after
the traditional Southeast Asian
machetes made popular in political
uprisings as well as agricultural
endeavors around the world for hun-
dreds of years. [BELOW] The nylon
sheath is sturdy and solid, and the
parang fits snugly. However, it
doesn’t come with a drainage
hole, which might pose a
problem in wet envi-
ronments.
Machetazo
CRKT’S HALFACHANCE PARANG
Story and Photography by Andrew Philips
or several hundred years, armed them with machetes and

the machete has been the started the Ten Years’ War. They have
favored sidearm of men in a Spanish word for the sound of a
tropical countries, partly machete cleaving human flesh:
because it symbolizes the machetazo.
uprising, the revolt and the collective A parang is a general term for any
angst of machete-wielding labors of wide utilitarian blade, and this is not a
the sugarcane fields. For example, the fancy parang. There should never be a
Puerto Rican terrorist organization fancy parang in your hands, as it goes
Boricua Popular Army are commonly against the reason for their very exis- with the machete you still stand half a
referred to as Macheteros — the tence. Fancy knives stay home in chance. Its nearly 20 inches becomes
Machete Wielders. It’s also a practical boxes and in cases on the wall; like a an extension of your arm thanks to
tool to clear the underbrush of the Jeep, this machete is made to get dirty. designer Ken Onion’s ergonomic han-
encroaching rain forest, slice open It was made to cut, to slash, to blud- dle and the long sweeping drop-point
coconuts and hard foods or to crudely geon. It was made for the harshness blade, a traditional Southeast Asian
chop wood. the world has in store for it, the upris- blade shape for a machete. The cutting
As a weapon, it was used widely by ings, the rebellions, and for times edge has an upsweep toward the point,
the Haitian Tonto Macoute and the when the trail gets too narrow. perfectly matching the trajectory of the
Interahamwe militias of the Rwandan Columbia River Knife and Tool swing to the horizontal plane of what is
genocides, and played a major role in (CRKT) offers this parang with the being struck no mater where on the
the Cuban war of independence moniker HalfaChance, suggesting that blade contact is made. On the first
against Spain in 1868 when Carlos when all is lost and the outlook for sur- time taking it from the box, the Hal-
Manuel de Céspedes freed his slaves, vival seems less than bleak, at least faChance is a substantial heft but has

ASG-1502-MACHETTE 12/9/14 1:51 AM Page 41
1 3 1. There are several holes in

which to string additional para-
cord, but it does come with a
decent length. 2. The blade is a
65Mn carbon steel material with
a flat grind. 3. The deep finger
wells on the thermoplastic rub-
ber over polypropylene handle is
well designed to not only with-
stand repeated use but to pro-
vide an ergonomic grip that
reduces hand fatigue over a long
period. There are five holes in
the handle to allow for a variety
of lanyard placements. 4. The
jimping here seems to be purely
for aesthetics, as they don’t
offer enough grip to allow for
5 smaller cutting… but machetes
aren’t designed for delicacy.
5. If there is a shortcoming with
the sheath, it will come from the
three metal snaps used to
secure the blade. Even though
they are coated black, the
insides of the snaps will proba-
bly rust if left unprotected.
2 4
a balance that makes it seem light and only way you’re going to let go of this
manageable. The 65Mn carbon-steel machete is if you’re throwing it. Bored
blade is bead-blasted smooth with a into the handle are five holes suitable Specifications
powder-coated black finish. It repels for a variety of lanyard placements
Manufacturer: CRKT
dirt, sap, dust and the sticky liquids depending on the employment of the
Model: HalfaChance
produced by shattered foliage. parang. On top, there is a hint of some
Overall Length: 19.5 inches
After a considerable thrashing, nary jimping, but let’s face it, a machete
Weight: 1 lb. 4.4 ounces
a sign of wear was observed on the wasn’t made for detail work; it was
Blade Length: 14 inches
blade’s finish, nor was there any hand made to strike fear in the face of foe
Blade Thickness: 0.1 inches
fatigue thanks in part to the double- and fern, not to carve your girlfriend’s
Blade Material: 65Mn Carbon Steel
injected molding of the handle (ther- initials into a tree.
Rockwell Hardness: 52-56
moplastic rubber over polypropylene The sheath is nylon-reinforced and
Handle Material: Thermoplastic rubber over
with a pigskin texture), which is heavy-duty. It has three snaps that
polypropylene
designed to fit even the largest hands. retain the HalfaChance snugly therein,
Sheath: Black Nylon
The deep finger divots offer a reassur- which is a shortcoming considering
Sheath Weight: 6.1 ounces
ing grip on the handle to suggest the snaps of this quality rust easily. How-
Contact: crkt.com
MSRP: $69.99
ever, the nine holes offer paracord-

wrapping possibilities similar to those
of the handle. It attaches to your belt
in two possible ways: either dangling
from the chromed ring or strapped
snugly to your belt.
Whether you’re blazing a trail
toward salvation, clearing some brush
beyond the chicken coup, or joining in
the crusades of the local revolution, if
you don’t have HalfaChance at your
side, you don’t have half a chance at
success. However, if you don’t like
The action of the parang is made better by the upswept angle of the cutting edge, allowing for a those odds, check out CRKT’s similarly
variety of trajectories regardless of the swing. designed parang: ChanceInHell.

ASG-1502-STARS 12/9/14 1:54 AM Page 42
IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA
Navigating
by the Stars LOOK TO THE HEAVENS MY SON…
Story By Larry Schwartz

ASG-1502-STARS 12/9/14 1:54 AM Page 43
rom the first time a Polynesian looked up into a dark night sky
from a log canoe for the star his grandfather taught him would
point the way to a distant island, to Columbus using Polaris to
find a westbound line of latitude to follow to India, to Peter Pan
following the “second star to the right” to find his way back to
Neverland, mankind has used the stars to help find its way.
HISTORY OF CELESTIAL NAVIGATION
IMAGE COURTESY OF NASA

From the earliest of times, mankind found that some stars stay in the
same spot in the sky every night while others rose and set on the horizon
in the same place each night. With this knowledge they could find their
way at night if they knew how their destination related to that star and tell
cardinal directions based on the movement of the stars. In the Greek poet
[ABOVE] Latitude, the lines running north
Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, the nymph Calypso used this knowledge
and south, and longitude, the lines running
when she cautioned Odysseus to keep the Bear (Ursa Major) on his left east and west, are used to determine a
hand side and to monitor the position of other key constellations as he precise location on the Earth’s surface.
These locations are measured in terms of
left her island returning to his home in Ithaca.
degrees, minutes, and seconds.
Most civilizations started along bodies of water like rivers, lakes, or
coastlines. As a result most growing civilizations also owed their growth [BELOW] The Google Sky Map app for an
Android or Apple smartphone is an excel-
to the economic benefits of seagoing trade, which necessitated learning lent tool for learning where key stars and
how to navigate by the stars. constellations are in the night sky.
IMAGE BY LARRY SCHWARTZ

ASG-1502-STARS 12/9/14 1:54 AM Page 44
Navigating
by the Stars
IMAGES COURTESY OF WIKIHOW

The Europeans took the astronomical
knowledge of the Chinese and combined it
with their own skills and mechanical knowl-
edge to create the earliest practical sextants
and seagoing chronographs which allowed
sailors to accurately determine both latitude
and longitude.
USING THE STARS TO TELL

DIRECTION
Finding direction at night is very simple if
the stars are out and the sky is clear. In the
northern hemisphere, the easiest way to find
North is to look for the North Star, or Polaris,
which always appears to be over the northern
pole. Since it sits at the “top” of the sky its
The Southern Cross, a constellation of four bright stars, looks like a cross. It is used by
navigators to find South because following a line along its long axis for five times its position will not change during the night, nor
length will put you at a position over the southern pole. Like the North Star, it is high will it change with the seasons. In the southern
enough above the equator that it is always visible in the night sky, regardless of the
time of year.
hemisphere people look for the Southern
Cross. Following the long axis of the “cross”
five times its length and you will reach a point
that is above the southern pole. Both of these
pole stars are high enough above the equator
that they are always visible in the night sky,
regardless of the time of year.
A second method for determining direction
from the stars is to look at their movement.
Just as you can use two sticks and the move-
ment of the shadow during the day to create
an East-West line, you can do something simi-
lar by watching the movement of a bright star
at night. First, find the brightest or most easily
recognizable star in the night sky. Then, push
two sticks into the ground, one longer than the
other, so that you can aim over the top of them
at the star you picked. After waiting approxi-
mately 15 minutes the star will appear to have
moved from where it was when you aimed at it
originally. If the star moved up it is in the East.
The North Star, or The Polynesians, like most seafaring cul- If it moved down it is in the West. If it moved
Polaris, is located at the
tures, made use of maps. Theirs were stick left it is in the North. If it moved right it is in the
end of the handle in the
Little Dipper. The most charts that showed major routes, winds, cur- South. These rules apply for the northern
common way of finding rents, and islands which were used in concert hemisphere, so reverse them for the southern
it is to use the two end
stars in the bucket of the
with their knowledge of the stars to travel vast hemisphere.
Big Dipper. A line drawn distances across the open ocean in search of
across these pointer food, trade, and new lands. Their wanderlust USING THE STARS TO TELL
stars will point to the
North Star. led them from the shores of Asia all the way to LOCATION
Samoa and the Hawaiian island chain. As time passed and mankind first journeyed
Chinese navigators were using latitude and farther and farther from the coastline and then
longitude long before their European cousins to began crossing major bodies of water for explo-
document where their journeys took them and ration or trade or discovery, the need for more
the precise locations of new lands and ports. precise navigational fixes brought the use of
When European captains reached China they latitude and longitude to describe where things
were amazed at the level of detail the Chinese were located and the creation of tools like the
mariners had in their maps and took that astrolabe and the sextant and the seagoing
knowledge back to Europe. chronometers to determine a ship’s location.

ASG-1502-STARS 12/9/14 1:54 AM Page 45
[LEFT] Sight across the tops of

IMAGES COURTESY OF WIKIHOW
two sticks of different lengths

at a star. Wait about fifteen
minutes and then see which
direction the star appears to
have moved. Up means the star
is in the East, down means the
West, left means the North, and
right means the South.
IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

[RIGHT] The earliest naviga-
IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIHOW
tional charts were very likely

the stick charts used by the
Polynesians to travel between
islands and even far past the
horizon. These charts showed
information on winds, currents,
and location of islands.
The first half of that positional fix is the Electronics break, batteries die and the
longitude. Longitude is shown by the long things we use to make life easier fail. Learning
lines that run the length of the globe from how to use the stars and the sun to know where
pole to pole and represent degrees east or you are and which way to go are skills we
west of the Prime Meridian, which runs should all develop and keep in practice. During
through the British Royal Observatory at the 1950s, a lecturer named Henry Neeley at
Greenwich outside of London, England. Longi- the Hayden Planetarium in New York City prob-
tude is measured from zero degrees at the ably said it best when he noted, “the naviga-
Prime Meridian through to one hundred and tional use of the stars will continue to be a [BELOW] The sextant in
eighty degrees on the opposite side of the valuable asset for many years to come. In spite use here by a U.S. Naval
officer is a simple but
Earth. Since the Earth moved at a constant of all the scientific aids that have been devel-
vital tool that gives pre-
rate of fifteen degrees per hour you could mul- oped to do the navigating by robot science, the cise angular measures
tiply the difference in hours between the time ancient stars will still be a ‘must’ for navigator that are used to deter-
mine latitude. By mea-
at the Prime Meridian and your local time by or pilot.” So, make use of your new skills on a suring the height of the
fifteen degrees and know your longitude. daily basis, even if it is just looking up at night sun or a star above the
The second half of a precise navigational fix and picking out the constellations. It’s one of horizon you can deter-
mine how far you are
is the latitude. Latitude is shown by the lateral the pleasures of being one with the outdoors, from the Equator, which
lines on the globe north or south of the Equator. so enjoy it. is your latitude.
Latitude is measured from zero degrees at the
Equator up through ninety degrees at the North
or South pole. Since the North Star stays above
the northern pole, and the Southern Cross
above the southern pole, the angle between
the horizon at sea and the star is the same as
your latitude; zero degrees on the Equator,
ninety degrees (straight up) at the poles, and
something in between elsewhere on the globe.
LEARNING TO FIND THE STARS

A web search on the term “celestial naviga-
tion training” will return a number of online or
classroom courses that will teach you how to
navigate by the sun and stars, as well as their
locations in the night sky. You can also find
star charts that will show you the location of
the major stars and constellations during each
of the seasons of the year. My favorite star
IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
chart is actually an app on my smartphone,

the Google Sky Map. To use it you simply open
the app and hold your phone above your head
at look at the sky. The app shows the stars
that are in the sky above you with their names
and other information.

ASG-1502-COUGH 12/9/14 1:58 AM Page 46
Nature’s
Medicine Chest
HOW TO TREAT A SORE THROAT AND COUGHING
It
seems sore throats and coughs have afflicted people for-
ever, whether from proximate causes like pollen, dust and
woodsmoke, or from talking too much, yelling, or even “catching”
something from another person. Fortunately, there are quite a few
natural remedies to help relieve the pain and discomfort of coughs
and sore throats, many of which have been used for centuries.
Each of the plants described are commonly available in the wild,
and typically can be purchased from herb shops in dried form.

ASG-1502-COUGH 12/9/14 1:58 AM Page 47
MALLOW
The various mallows have been used to soothe sore Mallow
throats for centuries. In fact, even the ancient Egyptians
used one of the mallows for this purpose.
In the United States, the common mallow (Malva parvi-
flora) is a widespread weed of vacant lots and fields. It is
sometimes referred to as poverty weed or cheeseweed. In
fact, the tender leaves of mallow are tasty in salads and
soups, are high in Vitamin C, and can be cooked with other
vegetables like spinach. We have even rolled cooked rice
within a larger leaf of the mallow, and served them as the
popular Middle Eastern dish “grape leaves” or dolmas.
In Mexico, mallow leaves (known as malva) have long
been chewed so the slightly mucilaginous quality can
soothe a sore throat. Herbalists consider mallow leaves an
emollient and a demulcent. Whether the leaves are eaten or
made into a tea, this plant helps relieve inflammation, espe-
cially in the throat.
A related mallow, the marsh mallow (Althea officinalis), is
also used for coughs and sore throats. This plant has a long
tap root that is boiled, and the resulting liquid is like egg
whites. This is then whipped, mixed with honey, and eaten
as a very pleasant and effective cough medicine. Of course,
marshmallows today are pure junk food, and marshmallow
manufacturers no longer use extract of the marsh mallow
plant. Today gelatin is used to manufacture those fluffy
white non-food objects (you know, marshmallows).

ASG-1502-COUGH 12/9/14 1:58 AM Page 48
will contain any horehound extract at all.

With very few exceptions, all the horehound
I have found in stores are nothing more than
sugar with artificial flavors added.
Horehound is made into a tea, which is
very bitter and unpleasant. No one would
ever drink it if it weren’t so effective. Besides
soothing a sore throat and a cough, hore-
hound is an expectorant, which means it can
help clear your throat when it is congested.
To make horehound tea, I collect the
young leaves in the spring. They can be used
fresh or dried. I place about one teaspoon of
the herb into my cup, pour boiling water over
it, cover it, and let it sit until it is cool enough
to drink. The flavor? Terrible! Its bitterness
must be experienced to understand. So add
honey and lemon juice to your horehound
tea to make it more palatable. The honey and
lemon are also good for your sore throat.
MULLEIN
Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is another
European native that has now naturalized
throughout the entire United States. It is par-
ticularly common in dry waste areas
throughout the Southwest. I can recall look-
ing out my window while driving to the
Grand Canyon and noticing the dominant
roadside plant was mullein.
Mullein leaves feel like flannel or chamois
cloth. The plant produces large basal leaves
the first year and then in the second year it
Horehound
sends up a seed spike that can reach four to
five feet.
To make a tea, use the first-year leaves of
HOREHOUND mullein and infuse them. There is not much
The horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is a flavor, so I typically add mint to mullein tea.
bitter mint, native to Europe, that has now
naturalized throughout the entire United
States. It is called marrubio in Mexico, where
Mullein
it also grows in the wild. When you see it in
“…IF YOU GO TO the wild it’s obviously a mint, yet it lacks the
THE STORE AND strong aroma typical of most mints. However,

you’ll see the square stem, opposite leaves,
BUY HOREHOUND and wrinkled leaves that make the hore-
DROPS IT’S VERY hound easy to recognize.
UNLIKELY THEY Do any of you remember horehound
candy? It was a popular “old-fashioned”
WILL CONTAIN ANY cough drop made by boiling the horehound
HOREHOUND leaves, straining them, and then adding
EXTRACT AT ALL.” sugar or honey to the liquid. The liquid was
then cooked until it was thick enough to
harden. Recipes for horehound candy can
still be found in many candy-making books.
Unfortunately, if you go to the store and
buy horehound drops it’s very unlikely they

ASG-1502-COUGH 12/9/14 1:58 AM Page 49
Mullein acts like a mild sedative on the lungs

and it helps to relieve the roughness in the
throat common with coughs and some fevers.
Interestingly, mullein leaves have also
been smoked to help relieve coughing and
even mild asthma attacks. I have tried this on
a few occasions, and I felt quick relief.
The large flannel-like leaves of mullein
have other uses as well. I’ve used them as
pot-holders, and even toilet paper. A leaf can
be rolled tight, bound with a wire, and used
as a wick in slush lamps. The tall second-year
stalk of the plant has been used as a drill
when making fire with the hand-drill, but I
don’t find it to be a particularly ideal plant
for this purpose.
Mormon Tea
MORMON TEA
Throughout the Southwestern United
States there is a stick-like plant called Mor-
mon Tea (Ephedra sp.). It is common in the
California high deserts, in the Great Basin
area, throughout Southern Colorado and
down into Texas. It is sometimes found at
herb stores.
The plant is a low shrub with branched
needle-like segments that have scales at the
nodes. There are just a few species of
Ephedra, each with a slightly different look
and color-tone. However, once you can rec-
ognize one Mormon tea, you’ll be able to rec-
ognize them all.
In China, a related member of the
Ephedra genus is the source of the drug
ephedrine, which is used as a decongestant
and a bronchial dilator. Though the wild U.S.
species contain much less ephedrine, they
are nevertheless useful in home remedies to
treat breathing problems associated with
coughs and colds. Typically, the stems are I have found everything by the herbalist
brewed into a tea at low temperatures in a Michael Moore to be top quality. Addition-
covered pot. There is a mild but distinctive ally, I have found Daniel Moerman’s “Native
flavor and aroma that I like. American Ethnobotany” to be an excellent
I have made an evening tea from Mor- and comprehensive reference, though there
mon Tea while camping in the desert where are no illustrations. Here where I live in the
there were no other beverage plants readily west, my first choice reference tends to be
available. It has a pleasant flavor, and it is “Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West”
improved with just a touch of honey. Even by Cecilia Garcia and Dr. James Adams.
if you have no breathing problems, you’ll Remember, don’t use any wild plant for
find Mormon Tea a great beverage, sweet- food or medicine until you have done suffi-
ened or not. cient study and field work to identify the
No doubt there are many, many other plant with absolute certainty.
remedies for coughs and sore throats.
Note: None of the above should be construed to take the place of
Included here were just a few of the common
competent medical advice in a face-to-face setting. Chronic cough-
wild plants which are safe and easy to use. ing or chronic sore throat may be an indication of a more serious
Though there are many good references to disorder. Use your common sense and consult a medical authority if
you are experiencing any sort of chronic disorder.
choose from regarding medicinal wild plants,

ASG-1502-AWARE 12/9/14 2:03 AM Page 50
ON
GUARD HOW SITUATIONAL AWARENESS CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE
Story by Scott Fisher | Photography by Guy Spangenberg | Additional Photography by Scott Fisher
ou’re walking out to your car in a dark

parking lot, your arms full of shopping
bags. From your right, someone steps out
suddenly from behind a car and confronts
you. You’re a little startled, but you focus
on them without getting too close. Out of nowhere,
hands grab your left shoulder and spin you around,
pushing you down. You lose your balance and your head
smacks off the pavement with a sound like slapping a
watermelon, and a sudden, painful ringing fills your ears.
The unseen assailant tears at your shopping bags, while
the first man shouts at you to stay quiet or get shot.
You’re on the ground in the parking lot now, victim of a
sudden and random crime.

ASG-1502-AWARE 12/9/14 2:03 AM Page 51

ASG-1502-AWARE 12/9/14 2:03 AM Page 52
ON GUARD

ASG-1502-AWARE 12/9/14 2:03 AM Page 53
What happened? How could you have pre-

vented it? You were distracted by the first per-
son, while his accomplice came up behind you.
This classic scenario demonstrates what hap-
pens if you’re not using an important survival
skill: situational awareness. As we will show, it
can save you from injury or worse if you learn a
few techniques and use them relentlessly.
The term “situational awareness” is perhaps
best known from fighter-pilot training: being
aware of the situation you’re in can save your
life, being unaware can kill you. It highlights the
human tendency to focus on the immediate
target — in a dogfight, the plane you’re chasing
— at the expense of the rest of the situation —
the “MiG at your six,” the enemy fighter who has
now slipped in behind you and has fired on you
while you were focused in front.
Situational awareness requires learning
ways to counteract millions of years of evolu-
tionary adaptation, which force us to concen-
trate on an obvious, single threat to our lives. If
you’re a primitive hunter-gatherer who sud-
denly finds himself in danger of being hunted or
gathered, your natural instinct is to identify the
threat — another predator who thinks you’d be
a pretty tasty treat, with no horns or claws, just
delicious soft flesh. (And maybe some not-so-
primitive hunters, as anyone who’s ever stum-
bled across a bear or mountain lion while hunt-
ing for turkeys has ever experienced.) of vision. Fortunately, stress hormones often
The natural human response to threats, make your hearing more acute, but this works
called “fight or flight,” is just that: our bodies against you, as the extra acuity sometimes sim-
release epinephrine and norepinephrine, two ply adds to the stress.
hormones that bring about a chain of physical
changes. These hormones increase our heart THREE STAGES OF A SITUATION
rate to improve oxygenation, dump glucose into While these provide some advantages for
our blood so our muscles will have fuel for protection against a single threat, they can pre-
maximum performance, and in short leave us vent you from noticing additional threats —
ready to fight, or run away and live to fight whether that’s the MiG at your six or the mug-
another day. The problem is that some of these ger’s accomplice walking up behind you. So “...BEING AWARE
mechanisms work against us: yes, concentrat- how can you counteract this? Let’s start by OF THE SITUATION
ing all our attention on the immediate threat
means we know where the bear or lion is at the
analyzing the most common model of situa-
tional awareness, which addresses three
YOU’RE IN CAN
moment, but unfortunately a serious cognitive stages of analyzing a situation: perception, SAVE YOUR LIFE,
side effect of the fight-or-flight mechanism is comprehension and projection. BEING UNAWARE
tunnel vision. Perception, the first stage, involves notic- CAN KILL YOU.”
Tunnel vision is just what it sounds like: as ing all the elements in your situation — not
your body begins the fight-or-flight response, just what’s in your tunnel vision, but every-
blood is shifted into the muscles and limbs, and thing around you: people, objects, their loca-
away from areas of the body that are “unneces- tions, motions, actions, the entire setting or
sary” to protecting you from the immediate environment you’re in. What do you see? Look
threat. One of the effects of this is the loss of for people, but don’t limit yourself to those
peripheral vision — you retain the central focus, you see. Are there hiding places — doorways,
but the edges of vision can “go dark” under driveways, alleyways leading into the route
extreme situations. Result: you lose the ability you’re taking? Are there automobiles or other
to observe items outside the center of your field objects blocking your view? Are any of these

ASG-1502-AWARE 12/9/14 2:04 AM Page 54
ON GUARD
of that SUV texting on a cell phone about to run

into you? The person walking behind you on an
unfamiliar street — is he closing in on you? If I
cross the street here, am I in an area with fewer
potential threats and therefore less likely to be
a victim? In this final stage, you consider what
you’ve seen and what you understood, and you
project it forward — for yourself and the poten-
tial threats — so that you have a sense of what
is likely to happen.
In real life, situational awareness affects so
much of what you do, from backing out of a
parking space to walking through an unfamiliar
neighborhood in the dark. And best of all, the
most important piece of advice in learning to
use situational awareness is simple: use it all
the time. Practice not only makes perfect, it
makes it automatic.
One practice for increasing your situational
awareness skills is simply to observe other dri-
[ABOVE] Ryan Tuttle, people, automobiles or objects moving — and vers when you’re on the road. My kids used to
CEO of Threat Dynam-
ics, demonstrates pre- if so, are their movements part of a pattern chuckle whenever I’d say, “I’m trying to figure
sentation of the firearm (the regular flow of traffic, for example), or do out what that guy in the white truck is doing, so
as a tactical advantage:
they change in some way (moving faster, that at least one of us knows.” Traffic gives an
muzzle down, but ready
to swing up and fire if changing lanes, etc.)? opportunity to notice unexpected actions,
necessary. Comprehension, the second stage, involves motions, and other breaks from expected pat-
[OPPOSITE] The author
understanding and analyzing what you’ve seen. terns. It teaches you to scan (stage 1, percep-
takes aim at three tar- Those rapidly-moving vehicles, for example — tion) and recognize vehicles whose motion dif-
gets, with one in plain are they perhaps moving erratically, coming fers from the surrounding traffic (stage 2, com-
sight, one taking cover,
and the third moving towards you in a way that could put you in dan- prehension). Stage 3, projection, comes when
across the scene. “Mov- ger? Are any of the alleys or doorways in your you take a subtle action to put yourself out of
ing targets can be hard
route potential areas where an attacker could the way of oncoming danger — whether pulling
to arrange on the live-
fire range,” says Ryan hide — or a potential route to safety for you? In to the right for an ambulance coming up behind
Tuttle of Threat Dynam- this stage, you recognize, interpret, and evalu- you with lights and sirens, or taking an exit to
ics. “But how do you
learn where to shoot at a
ate the situation as you perceive it, from the avoid a driver who appears to be drunk or
moving target?” position you’re in. exhibiting road rage.
Projection, the final stage, involves looking Some examples may make things clear: A
ahead to the actions that the people and things college friend of mine, who worked as a wait-
in your situation are likely to take. Is the driver ress in a family restaurant, told me about a

ASG-1502-AWARE 12/9/14 2:04 AM Page 55
night she closed the restaurant, which meant

driving home about 11 PM. On the way, she
noticed that the same set of headlights had
made every turn she did. When the car got
closer to her in traffic, she saw four young
males who made suggestive gestures to her.
She made a few quick turns; the car continued
to follow her… right up to the point that she
turned into the parking lot of the police station
that she had been heading for. The car full of
“youths” left the scene very quickly, considering
they were directly in front of a police station;
my friend waited several minutes, then drove
safely home without further incident.
On foot, you need to follow the same three-
step process: identify, observe, and prepare for
potential threats from people or places. It
might mean watching for doorways — espe-
cially businesses, if you’re in a commercial area
— as possible avenues of escape or safety, as
well as watching for threats and recognizing the shop, dashed to her car, and drove away
patterns. Another friend tells the story of an with the doors locked.
evening that she was shopping in a fairly In both of these stories, situational aware- [BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT]
In this series, the author
upscale neighborhood in Portland, when she ness — noticing a man who seemed out of
is placed in a situation
noticed the same man going into every shop place for the situation, or noticing a pattern of where an armed man
she entered. “He just looked out of place,” she headlights that made every turn the waitress has taken a hostage. The
scenario teaches
said when she told the story later — alone, not made on her way home — keyed these two into whether — and if neces-
shopping with a friend or partner, not dressed the awareness of a potentially dangerous sary, when — to fire: not
like the other shoppers in the neighborhood. interaction. It’s that reaction itself, sometimes while the armed man
has his gun to the
“And he followed me into every store I went passed off as “gut instinct,” the result of thou- hostage’s head, but only
into,” even after she crossed several streets. sands of years of survival of the fittest, that after he moves it toward
the student — and there
How she evaded him: after jaywalking (and can serve to perceive, then comprehend, and
is a time limit after
being followed a few moments later), my friend finally strategically act to neutralize the which the student is
slipped into a vintage shop, near where she had threats in a situation. “shot” in the simulator.
The simulation gets
parked her car, which had a large display near How can you develop your situational quite graphic in the third
the front door. She quickly ducked behind the awareness? I talked with Ryan Tuttle, CEO and frame; the fourth shows
display, out of sight. The suspicious man came president of Threat Dynamics, an immersive where the student’s
shot hit the armed man.
into the shop and looked around, presumably firearms training facility in Sherwood, Oregon. Feedback is a critical
trying to find her. My friend hurried back out of Ryan’s firm trains law enforcement and private part of training.

ASG-1502-AWARE 12/9/14 2:04 AM Page 56
ON GUARD
“YOU HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU’VE GOT TUNNEL VISION AND LEARN TO LOOK AROUND FOR ALL KINDS OF THREATS.”
citizens in the whole process of situational

awareness, from recognizing and identifying
threats to the most important part of the
process: having the judgment to respond cor-
rectly to the specific threat facing you.
“We train people to break the tunnel-vision
reflex,” said Ryan. “You have to recognize when
you’ve got tunnel vision and learn to look
around for all kinds of threats.”
Ryan’s company has an effective (and excit-
ing) way of teaching you to do just that. They
offer a number of immersive tactical training
classes (including certification for concealed
carry permits), which at the top level include
classroom instruction in the theory of situa-
tional awareness plus an understanding of the
legal issues in self-defense. After that come the
fun parts: digital video simulations where you
put theory into practice in real time, using mod-
ified Glock pistols that use CO2 cartridges to
make the slides move back as in live fire (if with
less recoil) and laser sights that interact with
the computer to give you feedback after the
training scenarios.
“The hardest thing to teach people,” Ryan
stressed several times, “is NOT to shoot. If
you’re carrying a firearm, it should be your last
resort but it’s often treated as the first resort —
if you have this really big hammer, everything
looks like a nail.” To that end, much of the
classroom time involves learning when the law
says you can defend yourself; in many
instances, given the legal ramifications, Ryan
says, “once you fire, you’ve lost.”
Perhaps the most powerful use of situa-
tional awareness is just that: to give you an
edge in a life-threatening situation that can let
you avoid it, defuse it, or otherwise emerge the
clear victor without the awful consequences
(legal and otherwise) that come from use of
deadly force. One of the specific techniques
Ryan teaches is “presentation of the firearm,”
illustrated here: the pistol is held close to your
chest but in front of you, the muzzle is pointed
down, your finger is off the trigger, and your
support hand is open at the butt of the pistol.
From here you can rapidly raise the gun to firing
position, a simple move that is drilled into you
in the simulation.
“If you’re in a gunfight and your opponent has
a pistol in his belt and you present your firearm
like this,” Ryan says, “you’ve already won, with-
out having to shoot.” And it’s the regular and dis-
ciplined application of situational awareness
that gets you to that winning position.

ASG_1502_57 12/9/14 1:31 AM Page 57
ASG-1502-BACKPACK 12/9/14 2:05 AM Page 58
BACKCOUNTRY OUTDOOR PACK
[LEFT] Kilimanjaro found inspiration for its prod-

ucts from the largest free-standing mountain in
the world and the explorers who set out to climb it.
“This relentless spirit is ingrained in the design
and craftsmanship of every Kilimanjaro product.”
[ABOVE] The contoured and padded shoulder
straps wrap around the waist to reach the bottom
of the pack instead of merely going straight down.
Tactical
[BELOW] It fits squarely between the shoulder
blades and can be adjusted to sit higher on the
back. The sternum and waist straps secure the
pack snugly to your back.
KILIMANJARO’S
Carry-All TRANSPORT MODULAR

OUTDOOR PACK
Story by Phil Tobin
Photography by Le Anne Pietrantonio
he ability to survive well and efficiently usually comes down to
an individual having more brains than gear. However, even the
most resourceful individual still needs to rely on quality gear.
More importantly, one needs a place to keep it all accessible,
available and well organized. The grizzly bear won’t wait for
you to rummage through your pack for your bear spray. Being able to reach
something quick and easy takes not only the packing skills of a great orga-
nizer but the organization provided by a great pack as well.
The Transport Modular Assault Pack is an organizer’s dream. The accor-
dion-style adjusts to your needs with two compression straps, whether you
need to carry just a little bit or if you have to pack in all 1,086 cubic inches of
this pack’s space limits. The pack is made from 600-denier, water-repellent
and abrasion-resistant polyester (a denier is a measure of weight; the
higher the denier, the higher the quality). It sits 18 inches tall by 10 inches
deep when fully packed. The 9-inch-wide base fits squarely between the
shoulder blades, allowing for full movement of both arms without the pack
getting in the way. Empty, it tips the scales at 2.1 pounds.

ASG-1502-BACKPACK 12/9/14 2:05 AM Page 59
The zip-
pers are
double-
sided and
protected
from the
weather
by folded
over flaps.
The D-rings on The pack is literally covered with these mod- Both the outer pockets have grommet-style
either side of ular attachment webbings to accommodate drainage holes to keep the compartments dry.
the shoulder almost anything.
straps are
designed to
carry additional
gear that has to
be easily acces-
sible, like a
water bottle if
you’re not using
a hydration
bladder.
The zippered pocket in the main cargo area

runs the width of the pack. Above it is an
The hydration bladder ports are protected by access hole for the hydration bladder area.
reinforced tabs that will lock out the weather The strap hanging down secures the bladder
when not in use. (sold separately) to the top of the pack.
Inside the
front lower no drainage holes for the main cargo
pocket are
The sternum and waist straps are secured via area and the walls are made of poly-
a couple of
these UTX-Duraflex high-quality buckles. smaller ester. There is a zippered pocket
pockets toward the top, a mesh pocket on the
and this
All exterior seams are box stitched locking
flap side, and an opening that serves to
and the stress points are double plastic key- both expose the top of the hydration
stitched. The two straps and backpad chain ring. bladder, and to route the tubes through
are moisture-wicking mesh fabric. All right- or left-handed ports at the top of
of the zippers are double protected by the pack. Those ports are kept closed
a retractable (folded) rain guard. The with heavy-duty hook and loop tabs.
sternum and waist straps are made inches and contains two smaller pock- The hydration bladder area is 15 by 8
from high strength nylon and secured ets for wallets or cell phones and a inches and comes with a hook and
by buckles; both the well-padded dangling plastic locking ring for keys. A loop strap so the bladder hangs from
shoulder straps (which are contoured small metal-ringed drainage hole at the top instead of slopping around at
to better fit the body) and horizontal the bottom of the pocket will ensure the bottom.
straps fit this pack snugly and confi- no water remains trapped. The pocket This is a versatile pack with unlim-
dently to your back. It will not shift above this one is smaller, approxi- ited storage options, whether you’re
even under a heavy run. Two D-rings mately 6 by 3 inches and has a similar out for the day or stuck behind the
can hold readily accessible gear, while drainage hole at its bottom. On the lines for an unlimited amount of time.
the 10 openings on the pack’s shoulder exterior of this pocket is a hook and If a weakness were to be found, it’s in
straps can accommodate a variety of loop patch for adding a name tag or the stiffness of the zipper covers that
things. Along both sides of the pack logos. There are also five nylon loops fold over the zipper tracks for weather
are 10 modular attachment webbings, for additional equipment. proofing. They bind up the zipper, but
and the handle is a double layer of The outermost pocket runs the in fair weather they can be folded back
reinforced nylon fabric. The bottom is height of the pack but is only about 8 to keep them out of the way.
equipped with two straps for affixing inches wide. It contains two pockets, The pack is rugged, well-built and
additional equipment such as a one polyester and the other mesh. The will last a long time even if you don’t
bedroll or rolled tarp, as well as six zippers of the main pocket in the rear properly take care of it. It’s also avail-
more attachment webbings. run the entire length of the pack, which able in black and camouflage.
The pack is equipped with four dis- allows the user to completely open the
tinct and separate storage spaces as flap and access everything inside all at
well as a space for a hydration bladder once. It is wide and deep enough to
SOURCE
that can be used to carry other items if handle a 15-inch diagonal laptop, or a kilimanjarogear.com
necessary. The bottom pocket is 9 by 7 wide range of other objects. There are

ASG-1502-BEACONS-CX 12/11/14 11:55 PM Page 60
PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA

Emergency HELP TAKE THE
SEARCH OUT
OF SEARCH
Rescue AND RESCUE
Beacons By Larry Schwartz | Photos Courtesy of NASA, NOAA, USCG, SafetyDirect, and Lauren Jorgensen
ennis Clements thought he was going to die. A trip to an island off the
coast of Puerto Rico had turned into something you normally see only
in the movies. After surviving four days of gale force winds in the North
Atlantic his 34-foot sailboat capsized, trapping him below his vessel
in the icy waters.
When he made his way to the surface he watched with joy as his boat righted
itself, although it was partially filled with water. Joy quickly turned to horror as he
watched what was left of his mainsail catch the storm’s wind, causing his boat to
start sailing slowly but steadily…away from him.

ASG-1502-BEACONS 12/9/14 4:16 AM Page 61
IMAGE COURTESY OF USCG

The COSPAS-SARSAT network of search and rescue satellites provides the link between you and the people who will come and rescue you. Your
emergency beacon sends a message with your identity and location up to the satellites which then download it to the command and control sta-
tions that contact local search and rescue organizations who dispatch a team to your location.
He found himself cold, wet, alone and 250

miles from land in the middle of a dark night
with nothing to help him except his personal
floatation device and its contents.
Although his sailboat was slowly abandon-
ing him to the frigid water it was also saving his
life. The vessel-mounted emergency beacon
onboard had started broadcasting its distress
signal to the search and rescue satellites
(SARSAT) orbiting overhead as soon as the
boat started to go down.
HOW BEACONS WORK

Emergency beacons are the first link in a 5-
part system that was established in the 1980s
by several nations to provide a way for search
IMAGE COURTESY OF NOAA
and rescue teams to quickly find and rescue

travelers. Your emergency beacon (1) sends an
emergency message by radio to (2) satellites
that are part of COSPAS-SARSAT search and
rescue network. They then relay the message
with your location to (3) a ground terminal sta- that acts as a homing beacon to help rescuers The COSPAS-SARSAT net-
work of search and rescue
tion which then routes it to (4) the mission con- find your more specific location. Once activated satellites provide the link
trol center. The mission control center then they continue to send out your distress signal between you and the peo-
alerts (5) the nearest rescue coordination cen- continuously until the battery dies, which is 24- ple who will come and res-
cue you. Your emergency
ter which dispatches search and rescue 48 hours. beacon sends a message
resources to come and get you. In addition to radio transmitters, most bea- with your identity and loca-
tion up to the satellites
Most beacons today use a powerful 406 cons today include a GPS unit. The SARSAT
which then download it to
MHz signal to send the rescue message to the satellites can get a general location using the the command and control
satellites containing your location and other Doppler shift between two or more satellites, stations that contact local
search and rescue organi-
information about you. They also have a shorter but the GPS provides your rescuers with a zations who dispatch a
range signaling device that runs on 121.5 MHz much more precise location fix. So make sure team to your location.

ASG-1502-BEACONS-CX 12/11/14 11:55 PM Page 62
“EPIRBS AND PLBS ARE A ONE-TIME

PURCHASE, UNLIKE SATELLITE
PHONES OR TEXT MESSAGING
DEVICES WHICH MAY HAVE RENTAL,
SUBSCRIPTION, OR AIRTIME FEES.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA

[ABOVE] A USCG the beacon you buy has a GPS, and if you have personal locator beacon (PLB). Both are bat-
helicopter-borne rescue
an older model you should consider upgrading tery powered, contain two kinds of beacons
swimmer practices
rescue techniques off it with the GPS capability. and send their signal to a satellite network,
the coast of New Jersey Since emergency beacons are intended to which then alerts search and rescue of your
in tandem with a Coast
only be activated as a last resort they are made plight. But what are the differences between
Guard surface vessel.
with a very strong signal. As a result it can the beacons and why do you need two kinds?
punch through obstacles like heavy cloud cover EPIRBs are designed for installation on a
or storms. However, like all satellite communi- vessel and are registered with the vessel.
cation devices, they do need an unobstructed Although they may be connected to the ves-
view of the sky to be most effective. sel’s electrical system when they are activated
they run on an internal battery. Since they are
DECISIONS, DECISIONS, vessel-mounted, EPIRBs are much larger than
DECISIONS…EPIRB OR PLB
There are two major types of emergency
A manually
beacons that you can use at sea: an emergency
activated
position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or a EPIRB like this
one saved the
life of this man
and his wife
when their
ship capsized.
PHOTO BY USCG, BY PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS LEVI READ
PHOTO BY LAUREN JORGENSEN
PLBs, like this one held by a

Coast Guard sailor after a
successful rescue, are manually
activated and broadcast continu-
ously for 24 hours or more.

PLBs which means that they can have larger

batteries and stronger signals. The battery is
designed to last at least 48 hours, which is criti-
cal if you are far from shore and it will take a WHAT
long time for a surface vessel to reach your INFORMATION
location. You don’t want your beacon running
IS REQUIRED
PHOTO BY USCG, PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS BRANDYN HILL

out of juice before search and rescue can get to EPIRBs can be
you. They can be activated manually, by con- manually activated, FOR YOUR
like this one mounted
tact with water, or by pressure when it sinks on the bulkhead of the REGISTRATION?
below the surface with the vessel to which it’s vessel, or automati-
cally activated when Registration of your beacon is
attached. Some models have the ability to
submerged a few not only important, it is
detach from their mountings and float back to meters below water.
required. The reason it is
the surface which gives them a better chance They continuously
broadcast your emer- required is that the informa-
of getting their signal up to the satellites. gency message for 48 tion you provide with your
PLBs are designed to be carried on your per- hours or more.
registration is vital to the suc-
son or gear and they are registered to you rather
cess of the search and rescue
than your vessel. One benefit of this personal
mission. It gives SAR the infor-
beacon is that it’s independent of the vessel your safety you want to get a beacon that
mation they need to ensure
you are on. Another is that you can move from includes the 406 MHz signal, the 121.5 MHz
they bring the right people
vessel to vessel and still have a beacon even if homing signal, and GPS to provide a more pre-
and equipment with them.
the vessel you are on does not have one. Since cise fix on your location.
The following list the infor-
they are small enough to carry in a pocket or on
mation needed for each type
your personal floatation device they also have a DON’T BE THAT GUY
of beacon. To complete your
smaller battery. Instead of the minimum of 48 Emergency beacons are only to be used in
registration go to www.bea-
hours broadcasting time for the EPIRB, the PLB dire straits, if it’s a life or death situation or a
conregistration.noaa.gov.
has a minimum time of only 24 hours. For this medical emergency. Every year people trigger
reason they are best used when staying within their emergency beacons because they either
EPIRB:
a few miles of shore. If you are going farther you run out of fuel while still within range to use their
• Owner/operator name and
should use an EPIRB. A PLB is activated by radio or cell phone to call for help, or they don’t
contact information.
hand rather than going active when under know their location, or their radio breaks down, or
• Vessel name, use, method
water. Although you can get them in a very some other non-emergency situation. These are
of power, vessel use and
basic design, to maximize its effectiveness and all situations that can be resolved without dis-
type, survival vessels on
board, radio equipment,
telephone information, reg-
In an emergency istration number, home
situation people
port, length, capacity, addi-
can be rescued by
sea vessels, like tional data and home port.
this USCG ship, • Emergency contact infor-
and receive initial
medical care mation, alternate contact
before being information and telephone
returned to shore.
numbers.
• EPIRB type, manufacturer
and model information.
PLB:
• Owner name, address,
email and phone numbers.
• Usage information, specific
usage information, type of
transportation and addi-
tional information.
• Emergency contact informa-
PHOTO COURTESY OF USCG
tion name, alternate name

and telephone numbers.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAFETYDIRECT.COM

PHOTO BY NOAA
[TOP LEFT]
This PLB must be
opened to activate it.
Others have buttons patching rescue helicopters and rescue divers or on your vessel or on your person, go out and get
on the outside. The
Coast Guard cutters. So don’t be that guy who them. EPIRBs and PLBs are a one-time pur-
protective cover
helps prevent acci- wasted those resources that might be needed by chase, unlike satellite phones or text messaging
dental activation someone in a real emergency. devices which may have rental, subscription, or
while those with
airtime fees. Plus, you can update your registra-
external buttons take
fewer steps to use. REGISTRATION IS VITAL AND tion whenever your trip details change or you
MANDATORY change vessels. If you are the captain of the
[TOP RIGHT]
Personal Locator Your beacon will not be of any use to you if vessel you may be required to have an EPIRB
Beacons should be you do not register it before you go on your trip. installed onboard, depending on what you do
kept on your body at
The registration gives you a Unique Identifier and how far from shore you go. Even if you are
all times while afloat
or stored alongside Number (UIN) which is transmitted when you not, it is incredibly cheap insurance against a
other survival gear in trigger the beacon, along with your GPS loca- seagoing disaster.
personal floatation
tion if your beacon has a built-in GPS. As part of
devices like this one.
Biography: Larry Schwartz is an experienced outdoorsman who
the registration you enter information about
enjoys passing on his knowledge of the outdoors and how to “Be
your vessel (for an EPIRB) or yourself (for a Prepared” through his writing and workshops.
PLB), but you should also update the
‘Additional Information’ field of the
beacon registration with details You should inspect your emer-
gency beacons, both EPIRBs and
of your trip, your passengers, PLBs, on a regular basis to
“THE REGISTRATION and any medical conditions or ensure they are working properly.
GIVES YOU A needs they may have. This

Most versions have test features
which allow you to actually send
UNIQUE IDENTIFIER will make the job of the

search and rescue team
a test message to the satellite
and get a return message indi-
NUMBER (UIN) much easier and take hours
cating that it worked properly.
WHICH IS TRANS- out of the search and rescue

MITTED WHEN YOU process. You should update
TRIGGER THE the information in your reg-

istration each time you go
BEACON, ALONG out so that SAR can
WITH YOUR GPS ensure they are
LOCATION IF YOUR equipped for the

emergency when
BEACON HAS A they get to you.
BUILT-IN GPS.” So now that you
know about one of
the most valuable
and important pieces
of gear you can have
PHOTO BY USCG, PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS PAMELA J. BOEHLAND

ASG-1502-GG-BEACONS 12/9/14 2:11 AM Page 65
Gear Guide
SURVIVAL BEACONS
Survival Beacons
Gear for the Open Ocean | Story by Larry Schwartz
IN AN EMERGENCY, the ability to signal
your location and need for assistance can
often mean the difference between life
and death for you and those with you.
Whether within sight of land or far off
shore, the best and often only way to
communicate with the outside world is
with an emergency beacon.
Designed as a the first link in a chain
that culminates with a search and rescue
resource being dispatched to your loca-
tion with the right equipment and per-
sonnel, emergency beacons come in two
major flavors, emergency position indi-
cating radio beacons (EPIRBs) and per-
sonal locator beacons (PLBs). EPIRBs are
designed for use affixed to a vessel and
are registered to that vessel, not to a per-
son. They will broadcast an emergency
PHOTO BY LARRY SCHWARTZ
signal to the search and rescue satellites

(SARSAT) for at least 48 hours. PLBs are
designed or personal use and are regis-
tered to an individual person who is carry-
ing it. They will broadcast the same
emergency signal for 24 hours. The differ-
ence in broadcasting hours is due to their location fix than the 460 MHz beacon that
intended use. An EPIRB is intended for use on sends the emergency message. A GPS is
vessels that are far from shore where it may another valuable feature that only some mod-
take more than a day for rescuers to get to your els have, but it will give rescuers the most pre-
location. The PLB is intended to be used when cise positional fix of any of the available fea-
at sea but not far from shore, thus only a 24 tures. A fifth feature that not all models have is
hour broadcast minimum. PLBs are also used a self-test of some form to let you ensure your
on land in the backcountry to signal for rescue beacon is working and transmitting correctly
when in a life or death situation. and successfully. Also, some PLBs are not
Although all modern beacons broadcast on waterproof or float, which are qualities that
the 406 MHz band, there is a wide range of anyone would want in a seafaring tool. For
other features that are available and that are these reasons this buyers guide only includes
prudent to have on your beacon. Some come models with all five features: 460 MHz emer-
equipped with a 121.5 MHz homing beacon gency beacon, 121.5 MHz homing beacon, GPS,
which provides rescuers a much more precise self-test, and waterproof and floating.

Gear SURVIVAL BEACONS

Guide
McMURDO
PRODUCT: FAST FIND 220 PLB
WEBSITE: www.mcmurdomarine.com
MSRP: $245.00
Key Features:
McMURDO • 406/121.5MHz PLB
PRODUCT: SMARTFIND PLUS/G5 GPS EPIRB • Easy to operate
WEBSITE: www.mcmurdomarine.com • No subscription needed
MSRP: $460.00 (manual activation bracket) • High brightness LED SOS light
- $550.00 (float free activation bracket) McMURDO • Minimum 24hr continuous operation
Key Features: PRODUCT: FASTFIND MAX G PLB • 6 year battery storage life
• 406/121.5MHz GPS EPIRB WEBSITE: www.mcmurdomarine.com • Self-test facility with battery use indicator
• International approval MSRP: $430.00 • Supplied with flotation pouch
• High performance multi-channel GPS - typi- Key Features:
cal accuracy less than +/- 62 m (Plus ver- • 406/121.5MHz PLB Description: The FAST FIND 220 is small and
sion) • International approval light enough for you to carry on your person at
• High brightness flashing LED light • Compact and lightweight all times. Using advanced technology, the
• Minimum 48hr continuous operation • Waterproof and buoyant FAST FIND 220 transmits a unique ID and your
• 6 year battery storage life • Easy to operate current GPS co-ordinates via the COSPAS-
• Comprehensive self-test facility with battery • 50 channel GNSS receiver uses multiple SARSAT global search and rescue satellite
use indicator satellite positioning systems network, alerting the rescue services within
• Manual release bracket • Position updates every 20 minutes minutes. Once within the area, the search and
• 5 year warranty • Minimum 48hr continuous operation rescue services can quickly home in on your
• 5 year battery storage life location using the unit’s 121.5 Mhz homing
Description: The Smartfind Plus/G5 GPS • Self-test facility with battery use indicator beacon and flashing LED SOS light.
EPIRB offers all the features of the Smartfind • User replaceable battery The compact FAST FIND 220 is quick and
E5 but with the addition of a high perfor- • 5 year warranty (after registering) easy to activate, with a safe stow antenna
mance, multi-channel GPS which brings the which automatically deploys when the unit is
location accuracy down to typically less than Description: The FAST FIND MAX G is an activated. The battery enables it to operate
62m, greatly increasing your chances of res- advanced Personal Locator Beacon which can continuously for a minimum of 24 hours.
cue in an emergency situation. It is supplied be carried on your person at all times. Easy to Waterproof to a depth of 10m, the FAST FIND
with a float free housing which automatically use, with a three-stage activation to avoid 220 is also supplied with a flotation pouch,
deploys and activates the EPIRB if the boat is accidental operation, the FAST FIND MAX G is for easy retrieval.
sinking. The Smartfind Plus/G5 features a waterproof to a depth of 10m and floats.
comprehensive diagnostic and self-test facil- When activated, the FAST FIND MAX G
ity to keep you up to date on remaining bat- transmits a unique ID and your current GPS
tery usage and EPIRB operation. co-ordinates via the COSPAS-SARSAT global
search and rescue satellite network, alerting
the rescue services typically within 3 min-
utes. The inbuilt GPS pinpoints your location
to within 62m and once within the area, the
search and rescue services can quickly locate
you using the unit’s 121.5 Mhz homing bea-
con and flashing LED SOS light. The Max-G
can operate continuously for a minimum of
48 hours.

SURVIVAL BEACONS Gear

Guide
GME ELECTRONICS • 6 Year GME Warranty.

PRODUCT: MT403G 406 MHz EPIRB with • Rugged lightweight easy-to-mount compact
GPS Water/Manual Activation design.
WEBSITE: www.gme.net.au • 6 Year battery life.
MSRP: $560.00 • 16 Channel parallel GPS receiver with top
Key Features: mounted Quad helix antenna for better than
• COSPAS-SARSAT worldwide operation. 100 meter accuracy
• Meets AS/NZ 4280.1:2003 standards. C/S • Class 2 international accredited specification.
T.001/007. • Easy, in-built self-test with audio/visual alert.
• Zero warm-up Digital Technology.
• Antenna deploys automatically when the Description: GME MT403 series EPIRBs are a
unit is removed from the quick-release culmination of three years of extensive R & D
mounting bracket. by GME engineers. The end result is a radical
• High visibility solid state strobe. new design concept that is not only a signifi-
• Automatically activates on immersion in cant improvement on existing beacon perfor-
water (when removed from the bracket) or mance, but dramatically slashes the cost of
can be activated manually if desired. 406 MHz EPIRB ownership.
• Non-hazardous batteries for restriction free The GME MT403G 406 MHz digital EPIRB is
transportation. the latest exciting extension of GME’s growing
family of innovative safety products. A key
feature of the MT403 series is the use of non-
hazardous battery packs that are IATA com-
pliant and allow for restriction free trans-
portation.
The MT403G also includes a water activa-
tion feature. Once it has been removed from
its mounting bracket, the MT403G will acti-
JOTRON vate automatically on immersion in water. Of
PRODUCT: TRON 60S / GPS course you can also activate it manually if
WEBSITE: www.jotron.com required.
MSRP: $568 (manual activation bracket) – The MT403G has an additional 16 Channel
$698(float free bracket) parallel GPS receiver with top mounted Quad
Key Features: helix antenna to improve location accuracy to
Manual activation or from free floating better than 100 metres typically.
bracket GPS as an option. Advantages of a 406 MHZ EPIRB over the
Description: The 406 Emergency Position older analogue EPIRBs include worldwide
Indication Radio Beacon (EPIRB), Tron coverage, position location accuracy to within
60S/GPS, is the latest contribution to Jotron’s 5 kms (100 m for the MT403G GPS model)
already comprehensive product range. Tron and a more stable transmitted signal result-
60S/GPS small and compact handheld size ing in faster response time. Most importantly,
will be a perfect supplement to meet the the addition of a unique digitally coded mes-
growing demand for smaller size EPIRBs, both sage provides Search and Rescue authorities
in Float-Free and as Manual versions. with vital information including the country
Totally sealed and with 5 years warranty of beacon registration and identification of
are among some of the unique features the vessel in distress, thus greatly reducing
Jotron offer this latest innovated EPIRB. The the incidence of false alerts and unnecessary
new Tron 60S/GPS is designed to meet IMO deployment of valuable rescue resources.
SOLAS requirement and can be offered with An auxiliary homing transmitter is included
the latest GPS-technology, as an option. With in the MT403G to enable suitably equipped
this new handheld size Tron 60S/GPS along Search and Rescue forces to home on the dis-
with the existing Tron 40S MK II, Jotron will tress beacon.
be able to meet all segments of sailing ves-
sels, from commercial vessels, fishing vessel
and recreational boaters.

Gear SURVIVAL BEACONS

Guide
GME ELECTRONICS
PRODUCT: MT410G 406 MHZ PLB with GPS
WEBSITE: www.gme.net.au
MSRP: $320.00
Key Features:
• Fitted with NON-HAZMAT long life batteries
• Featherweight, compact and robust con-
struction ACR/ARTEX
• 50 search channel GPS receiver for better PRODUCT: GlobalFix iPRO EPIRB
than 100 meter accuracy WEBSITE: www.acrartex.com
• Digital 406 MHz, 5 Watt transmission plus MSRP: $540 (manual activation bracket)-
121.5 MHz homing signal $650 (float free bracket)
• 7 year battery life Key Features:
• COSPAS-SARSAT worldwide operation • GlobalFix™ iPRO offers the very latest in
• 7 year warranty marine electronic life saving technology:
• National and International approvals •Highly visible LED strobe - Energy efficient
• Typical accuracy (with GPS) <100m •High efficiency electronics - Performance
• Sealed waterproof design (exceeds IP67) you can count on
• High visibility flashing light •Non-hazardous batteries - No shipping hassles
• Retention strap and fully buoyant design • Professional grade design - Engineered, tested
reduces risk of loss and built for years of abusive marine use
• Unique patented technology - no warm up • Ergonomic, compact design; Smallest, fea-
period ture-rich EPIRB available
• Complete with protective carry pouch • If you use it...they’ll replace it, free of charge.
Simply submit your story, send them back
Description: GME’s Accusat MT410G your used beacon so they can have it
Pocket Pro+ with integrated GPS Personal mounted on their Wall of Fame and they’ll
Locator Beacon (PLB) has been leading the send you a brand new beacon of equal or
world’s PLB market due to its features, and greater value.
innovation.
The MT410G Accusat PLB offers a massive Description: GlobalFix™ iPRO sports a digi-
7 year battery replacement life, and a 7 year tal display that allows you to see all of the
warranty, the unit also features a high inten- beacon’s operational activities. The screen
sity flashing LED, a ‘Non Hazmat’ battery displays GPS LAT/LON, operating instructions,
pack for simple and cost effective transporta- usage tips, transmission bursts as well as bat-
tion and a 50 search channel GPS receiver tery power.
with top mounted Quad helix antenna to iPRO makes self-testing your beacon sim-
improve location accuracy to better than 100 ple and easy to understand with the digital
metres typically - all contributing to the display visually walking you through the self
unique AccuSat advantage. test step by step; no more relying on listening
Today with cutting edge microprocessor to beeps and LEDs.
technology, GME’s engineers have been able The GlobalFix™ iPRO is also the first EPIRB
to provide the outdoor adventurer with a 406 that offers Dual GPS Technology. Interface
MHz PLB solution that is not only affordable, your iPRO to your onboard GPS to ensure that
but provides enhanced peace of mind for your LAT/LON is stored inside so the coordi-
boaters, bush walkers, 4 x 4 enthusiasts and nates are transmitted in the first data burst.
aviators should they ever require emergency iPRO’s internal GPS is optimized for cold
assistance. starts and is tested and refined at ACR’s GPS
GME has been designing and manufactur- Simulation Center so that it will pinpoint your
ing emergency beacons in Australia for over exact location faster than standard GPS
30 years. In that time literally hundreds of enabled EPIRBs.
lives have been saved in Australia and around
the world.

SURVIVAL BEACONS Gear

Guide
ACR/ARTEX ACR/ARTEX
PRODUCT: ResQLink+ PLB PRODUCT: AquaLink View PLB
WEBSITE: www.acrartex.com WEBSITE: www.acrartex.com
MSRP: $300.00 MSRP: $460.00
Key Features: Key Features:
• Buoyant • No Subscription Fees
• No Subscription Fees • Floats
• Super Bright LED Strobe • Super Bright LED Strobe
• Onboard 66-Channel GPS • Onboard 66-Channel GPS
• Self-Test and GPS Test Features • Self-Test and GPS Test Features
• Typical Performance 30 Hours • Typical Performance 30 Hours
• Non-Hazmat Battery • Non-Hazmat Battery
• Made in the U.S.A. • Made in the U.S.A
• If you use it...they’ll replace it, free of charge. • If you use it...they’ll replace it, free of charge.
Simply submit your story, send them back Simply submit your story, send them back
your used beacon so they can have it your used beacon so they can have it
mounted on their Wall of Fame and they’ll mounted on their Wall of Fame and they’ll
send you a brand new beacon of equal or send you a brand new beacon of equal or
greater value. greater value.
Description: At 5.4 oz and topping just 4.5 Description: Head offshore with confidence.
inches, the ResQLink+ is both a small and With three levels of integrated signal technol-
buoyant Personal Locator Beacon. Small ogy - GPS positioning, a powerful 406 MHz
enough to be carried in your pocket, clipped signal and 121.5 MHz homing capability - the
to a backpack or stored inside an inflatable AquaLink™ View quickly and accurately
life jacket. relays your position to a worldwide network
With three levels of integrated signal tech- of Search and Rescue satellites, reducing
nology - GPS positioning, a powerful 406 MHz search time and increasing your chances of
signal, and 121.5 MHz homing capability - the survival. It’s reliable signaling technology that
ResQLink+™ quickly and accurately relays has saved more than 28,000 lives since 1982.
your position to a worldwide network of The AquaLink™ View broadcasts a unique
search and rescue satellites. A built-in strobe registered distress signal that not only tells
light provides visibility during night rescues. rescuers where you are, but who you are. The
PLBs have been proven tried and true in onboard GPS can fix your position to within
some of the world’s most remote locations 100 meters and then utilizes a powerful 406
and treacherous conditions. Just ask the 400 MHz signal to relay your distress call to orbit-
or so pilots, boaters and back country explor- ing satellites. As local Search and Rescue is
ers who were saved by a PLB during a rigor- deployed, a separate homing signal and inte-
ous test program in Alaska. Based in large grated LED strobe light guide rescuers to your
part on the test results, the federal govern- exact location.
ment approved use of PLBs in the United The AquaLink™ View sports a digital dis-
States in 2003. play that allows you to see all of the beacon’s
Even in extreme conditions and situations, operational activities. The screen displays
the ResQLink+™ activates easily. Just deploy GPS LAT/LON, operating instructions, usage
the antenna and press the ON button. With tips, transmission bursts as well as battery
its powerful 66-channel GPS, the power. The digital display also makes self-
ResQLink+™ guides rescuers to within 100 testing your beacon simple and easy to under-
meters or less of your position. And, in the stand by visually walking you through the
continental U.S., search and rescue personnel self-test step by step. No more relying on lis-
are typically alerted of your position in as lit- tening to beeps and looking for LEDs.
tle as five minutes with a GPS-enabled PLB The AquaLink™ View is small enough to be
such as the ResQLink+™. easily carried in a pack or pocket or can be
Two built-in tests allow you to routinely worn on deck, at the helm, in quarters or on a
verify that the ResQLink+™ is functioning life vest and will float if accidentally dropped
and ready for use - with the push of a button, overboard.
you can easily test internal electronics and ACR Exclusive: Built-in GPS acquisition test
GPS functionality. mode allows you to test GPS functionality up
to 60 times over the life of the battery. Tap
into the same field-tested rescue technology
used by the U.S. Military, U.S. Coast Guard,
NATO Special Forces and Arctic explorers.

ASG-1502-BENCHMADE 12/9/14 2:43 AM Page 70
BACKCOUNTRY KNIFE REVIEW
The
Bushcrafter
BENCHMADE’S ANSWER TO THE SURVIVOR’S QUESTION Benchmade’s first knife
designed for the Bushcraft
movement is the 162
Story and Photography by Simon Meyers Bushcrafter, a full-tang
knife able to take whatever
is thrown its way.
he Bushcraft trend carving can easily be carried over a variety of ter-

out a niche for itself in the rains. In order to competently achieve the
survivalist industry is based Bushcraft mentality, one must start with
on the idea that anyone has the proper knife. But which one? Since it
the ability to survive in the is usually the only knife being carried, it
thick of the perilous backcountry. If they must be nearly indestructible, ready to
have enough equipment and technology handle any task and stand up to the con- Specifications
while stuck among the perils of the stant abuse a multi-purpose knife will Manufacturer: Benchmade
wilderness there is very little to overcome undergo in the field. Model: 162 Bushcrafter
on the way to salvation. However, only a Benchmade created just such a knife Overall Length: 9.20 inches
few are properly equipped to thrive and to meet the challenges of a Bushcraft Weight: 7.72 ounces
live comfortably in their new environ- lifestyle: the 162 Bushcrafter. It is Bench- Blade Length: 4.43 inches
ment. These individuals, trained in a vari- made’s first foray into the Bushcraft Blade Thickness: 0.164 inches
ety of survival techniques ranging from world. Designed by avid outdoorsman Handle Thickness: 0.920 inches
military survival training and modern and knife designer, Shane Sibert, this Blade Material: S30V Stainless Steel
wilderness tactics to classic Native knife is modeled after his own custom- Blade Hardness: 58-60
American survival practices, have the made Bushcraft knife, the Cascadia Blade Style: High Ground Drop-Point
aptitude to live contentedly off of what Bushcrafter. As a full-tang knife it is Sheath Material: Buckskin Leather
Mother Nature throws their way. And heavy, robust and has the potential to Contact: benchmade.com
they usually do so with whatever is found stand up to years of wear and tear with- MSRP: $205.00
in nature and with tools like an axe, knife, out the worry of damaging it. The green
and/or a mix of simple implements that handle scales (grips) are molded G-10

ASG-1502-BENCHMADE 12/9/14 2:43 AM Page 71
held in place by three flared titanium

tubes that provide great lashing points
to turn the knife into a spear, a
machete or perhaps a pruning pole to
reach fruits or nuts on high branches.
The hole at the pommel end is perfect
to attach a lanyard. Thumb divots are
The sheath
added for support when the knife is
is brushed
turned laterally for slashing. At the The Benchmade butterfly is on one side of buckskin leather
the face while knife designer Shane Sibert’s with a loop for
pommel, the handle swells out again,
logo adorns the other. a firesteel.
making it easier to hold onto when
using the knife like a hatchet. The
spine lacks any jimping, which would
increase stability during fine cutting.
The drop-point blade is extremely
tough, easy to sharpen and chip resis-
tant. It is milled from a solid billet of
CPM S30V stainless steel, one of the
best metals for making high quality
knives, which makes this knife strong
enough to handle a variety of survival
tasks from batoning firewood to fine
The end pommel is flared to allow for a
carving and kindling making. Some mixed style of grip, and the small hole is The strap is also leather and holds the knife
have criticized this knife for not having perfect for a paracord lanyard. snugly via a simple metal snap.
the scandi grind found on traditional
Bushcraft knives (scandi grinds are
simple grinds that are easy to
sharpen), but the 4.4-inch cutting
edge is a high grind with a secondary
bevel added. This, according to Sibert,
“increases edge strength over a scandi
grind, while still being super sharp.”
It arrives with an attractive, brushed
The finger guard is deep and well defined,
full-grain buckskin leather sheath with but the lack of jimping on the spine reduces
A flared hole is built into the sheath for a leg
a loop intended to house a firesteel. the grip during fine carving.
strap, but this knife sits so high on the belt
The knife itself is held in place with a that any strap here would be uncomfortable
matching leather strap and snap, for larger individuals.
which is protected from the blade by a

hard plastic insert. The chromed ring
on the back of the sheath can be used
to dangle the knife from your belt, pack
or harness, while the riveted loop can
affix to your belt. Due to the sheath’s
design, the Bushcrafter rides high on
the belt, which may get in the way of The handle scales are affixed to the tang via
more athletic users. three titanium sleeves that are flared out at
the ends. This sandwiches the knife together
Overall, this is a great knife with better and provides lashing points that con- Either the chromed ring or riveted belt loop
can be used to keep this knife secure on your
untold abilities. Benchmade set aside vert this knife into a variety of tools.
belt or pack.
the gimmicks found on many survival
knives — especially in the Bushcraft
market — and decided to produce a
solid knife using high-quality materials
and a unique and original design. The
clean, smooth lines and well-thought-
out ergonomics display a hint of sexy
mixed with the healthy dose of confi-
dence and self-reliance found in the
Bushcraft mentality. It is also available The drop point blade is high ground with a The sheath itself is protected from the knife
secondary bevel instead of the more tradi- by this plastic liner, and the strap keeps the
as the 162-1 Bushcrafter with a coyote tional scandi grind. This allows for a stronger knife immobile so the cutting edge won’t rub
tan handle and black Kydex sheath. cutting edge. itself dull on the plastic.

ASG-1502-MORSECODE 12/9/14 2:46 AM Page 72
HOW-TO MORSE CODE
What Hath God Wrought:

Dots&Dashes
COMMUNICATING THE OLD FASHIONED WAY WITH MORSE CODE
Story by Matthew Lee | Images courtesy of Library of Congress
the
On May 13, 1897,
ssage
first wireless me
ter
was sent over wa
in
from Lavernock
rn
Wales to Flat Ho
lish
island in the Eng
ssage
Channel. The me
dy."
was, "Are you rea
I
t is more convenient than ever to send and receive messages,
easily and quickly, to and from anywhere in the world
because of today’s cell phones, GPS equipment, and satel-
lites, not to mention, email, social media and a vast assort-
ment of high-tech communication systems. Throughout the
centuries, there have been a host of outmoded communication tech-
niques, but the usefulness and availability of Morse code has
remained relatively steady. Though it is fading from the list of
requirements of government programs (as of 2006, the FCC no
longer requires it of ham radio operators), most military branches
still offer a training course. One specifically is at Ft. Hauachuca in
Arizona – a 72-day course where the course director, Major Scott
Morrison, likes to say: “We use a Civil War invention, combined with
World War I transmission technology, primarily targeted against
Cold War adversaries, in support of today’s decision making needs.”

up with a system that would translate mes-

sages over distances; some involved wheels
pointing to letters while others printed them
out. These other systems didn’t sell well, so
they fell from use.
Morse’s system made indentations on the
paper when the electric currents were
received. Then the operator would translate
these indentations into numbers which would
then be translated into words. It was Vail’s
idea to skip the middle decoding and expand
the system to include the whole alphabet, and
it was his idea to use a system of dots and
dashes (the shorter sequences were given to
the letters used more frequently).
In 1843, the United States Congress
appropriated $10,000 to Samuel Morse in
order to build an experimental telegraph line
from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, MD.
Completed in late May 1844, it was demon-
strated before Congress on May 24, with the
world’s first Morse coded message: “What
hath God wrought.” It was successful, and
soon telegraph systems were being strung all
along the eastern seaboard.
Soon, telegraph operators were so adept
Morse code is the world’s first binary sys- at translating the clicking of the machine’s
tem, a simple on-off switch that can control a armature, that they no longer needed the
light, electric pulse, a tone, or a tap. It is used machine to make marks on the paper.
to transmit words and phrases in code elec- Instead, they could translate the clicks
tronically over great distances to be decoded directly into words by sound alone. They fig-
on the receiving end. ured out that new operators could learn the
code if it was taught as a heard-only lan-
HISTORY IN DOTS AND DASHES guage instead of read as a series of dots and
Like most things, the electrical telegraph dashes on a page.
system wasn’t invented in a single day. By the 1890s, Morse code was being used
While artist Samuel F. B. Morse was painting for all communications over radio waves
a portrait of Marquis de Lafayette in 1825, a before it was possible to transmit voice. In This portrait of Samuel
messenger delivered a letter that said his the late nineteenth and early twentieth cen- Finley Breese Morse was
taken by famous Civil
wife was ill, followed by a letter the next day tury, most high-speed international commu- War photographer
that said his wife had died. He didn’t even nication used Morse code on telegraph lines, Mathew Brady in 1866,
six years before Morse's
know she was sick, and by the time he had undersea cables and radio circuits. In avia-
death. The medals are
returned to his home in New Haven, CT, she tion, the U.S. Navy was first to transmit awards given by various
had already been buried. Right then and Morse code from an airplane; and during countries for his contri-
bution to science and
there, he was inspired to find a way to World War I, Morse code was used to coordi- communications.
quickly communicate over long distances. nate bombing runs and navigation.
Morse began studying electricity and elec- Beginning in the 1930s, both civilian and [TOP LEFT] A sketch of
the original telegraph
tromagnetism. He met with countless scien- military pilots were required to be able to use equipment Morse used
tists and researched many different options. Morse code, both for use with early commu- to first transmit his code
in 1844.
Though Morse gets the namesake, he was nications systems and identification of navi-
helped greatly by physicists Joseph Henry gational beacons which transmitted continu-
and Alfred Vail. ous two- or three-letter identifiers in Morse
In 1836, they created a system of electric code. Aeronautical charts showed the identi-
pulses along wires that controlled an electro- fier of each navigational aid next to its loca-
magnet at the receiving end; those pulses tion on the map. During World War II very
could be translated into words and phrases. few battles, ships, or armies went into action
Other inventors tried their hand at coming without the benefit of Morse code.

Dots&Dashes
13 units of time to send. Similarly, words,

even those having the standard number of
characters (five), will take varying amounts of
time to send.
Because characters take different amounts
of time to send, and because words have dif-
ferent numbers of characters (although we
use five-letters as the average word size),
code speed must be based on the sending of
a standard word. Two words, “Paris” and
“Codex” are used to represent these two
standards.
Paris: This standard, which takes 50 units
of time to send (including the space between
words) is representative of standard English
text; i.e., it takes about the same amount of
time to send as the average word. Morse code
was purposefully designed so that the more
The telegraph and Morse Morse code was used as the standard for common characters, such as E and T, take the
code replaced the short
running Pony Express as
maritime distress calls (S.O.S) when it was shortest amount of time to send, making the
the best method to send replaced by the Global Maritime Distress average text flow as quickly as possible.
mail to the West. Safety System in 1999. The French Navy was Codex: This standard, which takes 60
[OPPOSITE, TOP] Early the last military entity that used Morse code units of time to send (including the space
versions of printing tele- until January 31, 1997, when the final mes- between words) is representative of words
graph sets were phased
sage transmitted was, “Calling all. This is our consisting of random letters; Codex takes the
out as operators could
translate the code last cry before our eternal silence.” In the same amount of time to send as the average
quicker than the United States the final commercial Morse five-letter word of random characters.
machines could print it.
code transmission was on July 12, 1999, sign- Use the (slower) Paris method if you want
ing off with Samuel Morse’s original 1844 to hear each character at the rate it would be
message, “What hath God wrought.” sent in normal English text. Use the (quicker)
Codex method if you want to be writing down
HOW MORSE CODE WORKS random characters at a given rate. We recom-
To understand how Morse code works, it mend becoming proficient at a given speed
is helpful to look at the method in which using the CODEX method, so when you hear
code is generated. To reflect the sounds of normal English text in a code test, it will
Morse code receivers, the operators began to sound slower (but you’ll be writing the char-
vocalize a dot as “dit,” and a dash as “dah.” acters down at the rate you’re accustomed to).
Dots which are not the final element of a
character became vocalized as “di.” For HOW TO LEARN MORSE CODE
example, the letter C was then vocalized as One of the first things beginners want to
“dah-di-dah-dit,” but for the purposes of this do when deciding to learn Morse code is to
article we will use, with a couple exceptions, turn to a reference book and look at the
“dot” and “dash.” unique dot and dash patterns for each char-
Code dots and dashes and the spaces acter. Some proponents of quick learning
between them are sent using a standard fixed suggest you don’t do this, as it only adds
time interval. A dot takes one unit of time, a another step in the mental decoding process.
dash takes three units of time, the space Instead, find a convenient tool (there are
between the dots and dashes of the same plenty of Morse code simulators) that lets
character takes one unit of time, while the you learn the patterns by listening to the
space between characters takes three units of unique sound for each character rather than
time, and the space between words takes decoding a sequence of dots and dashes first
seven units of time. When sending code at a and then translating that sequence into
given speed, these units of time remain fixed words. Once learned in this manner, you will
in duration, and consequently the letters and immediately recognize the characters by
words take varying amounts of time to send. their sound and not what they look like.
For example, an E (dot) takes one unit of time However, if you need a slower method,
to send while a Y (dash-dot-dash-dash) takes find a collection of slow Morse code record-

Morse
Code
Alphabet
A•—
B—•••
C—•—•
D—••
E•
F••—•
G——•
ings (that come with a key) and listen to the begins with a C. A great mnemonic that has H••••
combinations of dots and dashes. As you lis- been used for years (picture the opening few I••
ten, do your best to picture the letters in minutes of “The Longest Day”) is the dot-dot- J•———
your mind as you jot them down. Refer to a dot-dash sequence used for the letter V. The K—•—
Morse code alphabet and translate what you sound has the same cadence as the opening L•—••
wrote down. Do your dots and dashes make salvo of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. M——
letters? Words? If not, try it again… and N—•
again… and again. METHODS OF LEARNING IT: O———
Practice translating basic words and sen- SLOW IT DOWN P•——•
tences into Morse code. In the beginning, Farnsworth Method Q——•—
you can write it down, then sound it out, but The classical way to learn code is to start R•—•
eventually you’ll need to go straight to slow and then build up to a higher speed. S•••
sounding it out. Start with simple words. Using Farnsworth timing (developed by T—
Donald R. Farnsworth in the late 1950s), U••—
SPACING characters are sent at the same speed as at V•••—
Spacing is just as important as the letters higher speeds, while extra spacing is inserted W•——
that come before and after. Each letter needs between characters and words to slow the X—••—
to be separated by a space that’s the same transmission down. The advantage of this is Y—•——
duration as a dash (three times the duration that you get used to recognizing characters at Z——••
of a dot). The better your spacing, the easier a higher speed, and thus it will be easier to 1•————
your code will be to understand. increase the speed later on, but you have 2••———
more time between letters. Starting with a 3•••——
MEMORIZE, MEMORIZE slow word speed, you have time to think 4••••—
Memorize the easiest letters first. The rea- about the characters, while gradually 5•••••
son a T is a single dash and an E is a single increasing the word speed as you improve. 6—••••
dot is because they are used most frequently. 7——•••
Start by memorizing the single-dot/dash first Morse Code Tree 8———••
and move to the double, and then triple let- Another method to learn Morse code 9————•
ters. Once you’ve got those down, start mem- without having to memorize the code table is 0—————
orizing combinations, but leave the more the Morse Code Tree, developed based on
complex combinations for last, which fortu- the number of dots or dashes in each letter
nately includes some less commonly used
letters (Q, Y, X, and V).
MAKE ASSOCIATIONS
When memorizing the various letters,
sometimes it is good to use association, a
mnemonic device used to make sound associ-
ations between two seemingly unlike things.
For every letter, think of a memorable sound
that mimics the Morse sequence. For exam-
ple, C is dah-dit-dah-dit (dash dot dash dot).
Consider “catastrophic,” which has an
emphasis on the first and third syllable, and

TEST YOUR CODING SKILLS

The best way to master any new thing is to practice
it over and over, every day, basically for the rest of
your life. In doing so, you will soon master it.
Below, match the code from the left column
Morse code became an integral part of warfare with the correct word from the right column.
communication as shown here during World War I.
1: — • — • • — — A: Trail
2: — • • — — — — — • B: Knife
related to every other letter. Starting at the
3: — — • • • — — • C: Danger
top, listen to a single letter of Morse code. If
4: • • • • • • — • • • — — • D: Cat
you first hear a dot, go to the right; if you first
5: • • — • • • • — • • E: North
hear a dash, go to the left. For example, dash-
6: — • — — • • • • • — • • F: Dog
dot-dot is sent. Start at the top. When you
7: — • — • • — • • • — • • G: Gun
hear the dash, move to the left to the T. Then
8: — • — — — • — • — • • • • H: Camp
you hear the dot, so you move to the right to
9: — • — • • — — — • — — • I: Help
the N. When you hear the final dot, move to
10: — • • • — — • — — • • • — • J: Fire
the right to the letter D. Since there is a
longer pause at the end of the sequence, you
Now that you might have some skills, translate the
know it is the end of the letter. Move on to
following phrase (the slashes are there to help sep-
the next.
arate between words):
Koch Method
— •••• •— —• —•—/—•—— ——— ••—/••
With the Koch Method, you start with an
—• ——— •—•/•—• • •— —•• •• —• ——•/
initial set of two characters. Practice listening
• — — — • • — • • • — • — • • — —• / • • • • • — • —
to random code containing only these two
• •••— •• •••— •— •—••/——• ••— •• —••
characters. Listen to the characters at your
•/—— •— ——• •— ——•• •• —• •
Get a target speed. When you can copy this code at
Coach and your target speed with 90 percent accuracy,
then add a third character to the set. After
Practice this new character is added your overall
Many amateur radio sta- accuracy will go down at first and will then Cong propaganda, he was covertly blinking
tions transmit Morse build back up. When you can copy code con- his eyes in Morse code: “T-O-R-T-U-R-E.”
code practice sessions for taining these three characters with 90 percent Since the North Vietnamese weren’t familiar
the benefit of people accuracy, then add a fourth character…and with Morse code, they were unaware of the
learning how to read so on. messages, and this was the first confirmation
Morse code or those that With this method, you don’t start with the that Americans were being tortured.
want to improve their least-frequent letters (E and T) as they will Since the fading of the requirements to
speed and/or accuracy. come much easier, but instead start with learn Morse code and an increasingly heavy
Best known are the more difficult letters, like K, Q, and M. reliance on electricity-based communication
W1AW radio station’s systems, fewer people have taken the time to
code practice transmis- CONCLUSION develop this very useful skill. In an age of
sions and are most If you think that there’s no way Morse rapid communication and texting, Morse
widely used. They are code will ever be useful in your life, remem- code is going the way of the carrier pigeon
located at the headquar- ber the story of Admiral Jerimiah Denton, the and smoke signals; instead, this antique tech-
ters of the American senior-most American POW in Vietnam, nology can be used in urgent situations
Radio Relay League from 1966 to February 12, 1973. Throughout where communication without advanced
(ARRL) headquarters his captivity at infamous Hanoi Hilton, he technology would be crucial. Being prepared
Newington, CT, and they was mercilessly tortured and given threats of by knowing Morse code provides a sense of
offer a very detailed further torture if he didn’t respond correctly security that another communication method
schedule on their web- to the journalists’ questions at a televised is only a finger tap away.
site. They offer sessions interview scheduled to appear on American
from five words per channels May 17, 1966. From the beginning
minute to 35 and can be of the interview he feigned sensitivity to the Phrase: Thank you for reading American Survival Guide magazine
found at arrl.org/learn- lighting of the cameras and of those in the camp, 10. danger
ing-morse-code. room, but all the while resisting the Viet

Answers: 1. cat, 2. dog, 3. gun, 4. help, 5. fire, 6. knife, 7. trail, 8. north, 9.

ASG_1502_77 12/9/14 2:32 AM Page 77
Fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, terrorism, nuclear/biological/chemical, destruction, panic.

These disasters present lethal challenges in daylight. They are compounded by darkness. Are you ready?
TNVC is the only place to obtain all the necessary low light and no light gear to not only survive, but endure and
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ASG-1502-SURVIVESEA 12/9/14 2:54 AM Page 78
Never
Give Up
SURVIVING AT SEA
Story By Adam Jones | Photography Courtesy U.S. Department of Defense
SURVIVAL AT SEA IS ANYTHING BUT A TRIVIAL MATTER.

It is difficult to imagine the fear a shipwreck survivor would experience when
surrounded by nothing but open ocean and watching your boat slowly sink with
little or no resources to support your chances of survival. Lessons can be learned
from successful sailors, adventurers, and explorers who possessed the proper
techniques and tools to stay alive under the most trying of circumstances.
To prepare yourself to be successful, a survivalist must acquire the skills and
knowledge necessary to respond in an ocean borne life and death situation. First
and foremost, a sailor must have a robust knowledge of seamanship, knowledge
of your vessel, weather forecasting and signaling that attracts rescue or pinpoints
your location. These are fundamental requirements simply for reliable sailing,
however to be successful in dire circumstances more knowledge is necessary.
Critically important are methods of procuring water at sea, ways of getting food,
navigational methods and how to get underway if you vessel is capable. During
an incident you may be injured and so you must know how to address traumatic
or environmental injuries, and maintaining an awareness of the wildlife that
could be dangerous to you. Make no mistake, time spent learning these life saving
techniques will appear very well spent in a real-life emergency.

“SURVIVAL CAN BE SUMMED UP IN THREE WORDS — NEVER GIVE UP.

THAT’S THE HEART OF IT REALLY. JUST KEEP TRYING.”
— BEAR GRYLLS

tion device. However, if one is not present,

clothing – specifically pants - can be a useful
alternative. Tying the legs together, air can then
be scooped, orally delivered, or splashed into
the pants. The legs of the pants should then be
placed over the neck of the swimmer, with the
waist secured to the swimmer via a belt. As
long as the pants or trousers are wet they
should remain airtight, so they must be periodi-
cally moistened or refilled with air. To contain
body heat while using a flotation device, use
the Heat Escape Lessening Posture (or H.E.L.P.)
which means crossing the ankles while keeping
knees raised and arms tucked in to the body.
SEA LIFE
If a vessel might sink or is sinking, the sce-
nario changes. Knowing the wildlife you may
encounter in a given part of the world is an
important part of survival. Many people feel
that the most significant danger you might
HAVE A PLAN face is from a carnivorous predator, such as
Before any incident occurs, it is critical to the many species of shark that live in virtually
have a survival plan, as it is almost impossible every part of the ocean. However, a common
to think of everything that needs to be accom- threat to many ocean-going vessels are
plished as a craft is sinking. Once the plan is whales. Two famous cases of shipwreck sur-
“I AM LESS AN written down, practice the procedures. The vivors, that of Steven Callahan in 1982 and the
INDIVIDUAL THAN emergency plan should include information instance of Bill and Simone Butler in 1989,
PART OF A regarding all of the subject matter in the pre-

ceding paragraph, as well as procedures for
were most likely the cause of whales. Callahan
in the Atlantic Ocean and the Butlers in the
CONTINUUM, JOINED free swimming if no craft is available. If a sur- Pacific, both had holes punched in the hull of
TO ALL THINGS AND vivalist does not have a life raft or emergency their sloops, the Butlers likely by pilot whales.
DRIVEN BY THEM craft, treading water and staying afloat as long This demonstrates that it is also important to
MORE THAN I AM IN as possible becomes a critical skill.

The first step to doing this successfully is
know the appropriateness of your sailing ves-
sel for the type of journey you are on. Trans-
CONTROL OF MY careful breathing, as panic and hyperventilation Atlantic and Trans-Pacific cruises become that
OWN PATH.” are dangers. Regular deep breaths with com- much more dangerous on a smaller craft –
plete exhalation are important. Some Naval although if you are an adventurer this may in
— STEVEN CALLAHAN, ADRIFT
instructors tell their students to make the letter fact be the point of the trip. Just be aware of
“K” in their mouths with their lips closed which the additional threat.
keeps a small amount of air in the nostrils and The greatest danger related to the holing of a
can thusly keep water from entering when sub- sailing craft generally comes in the evenings or
merged. It is important to also make certain in bad weather when you are either asleep or
everyone at sea has access to a personal flota- visibility is poor. If possible, it is wise to post a

Never Give Up
watch, which would allow you to be aware of

both wildlife and human predators. In both of
the above cases, the encounter with the whales
occurred at night and in bad weather, which
may or may not have been prevented by the use
of a watch posting. Callahan was sailing alone.
If your craft does have a hole or leaks for
any reason, you can alert yourself to the prob-
lem using a bilge alarm or high-water alarm.
Once their craft began to sink, the Butlers kept
their heads – they grabbed the gear they
needed and jumped into an emergency raft. In
their case, they only had time to grab the
absolute essentials – fishing rods and a salt
water purifier. In general, the water purifier is
more important, as there are instances of indi-
viduals surviving up to eight weeks or more
without food. In some cases, exposure to
extreme heat without replacing fluids can kill a
person in hours. Understandably in this case,
shelter is also important as the elements can
also kill you over time due to hypothermia
(when the body’s temperature drops too low)
or hyperthermia (when the body’s tempera-
ture climbs too high).
The Butlers were able to survive by eating
raw fish caught with their fishing poles and
drinking the purified water from the salt water
purifier. Even carefully minding the resources
they were able to produce, they lost a signifi-
cant amount of weight over the course of their
66 day ordeal. They were rescued by a Costa
Rican Coast Guard vessel. Callahan’s case is
distinct in that he designed and built the vessel
he sailed in, so when it struck what was most
likely a whale during a night storm it only
swamped but did not sink due to watertight
compartments he engineered into the hull of
the craft. Before rough seas separated him
from his craft, he was able to retrieve a number
of items, including a spear gun he used to hunt
and two solar stills he used to purify the salt
water. Solar stills essentially function on the
greenhouse effect, using sunlight to steam
salty or even brackish water to purify it. Calla-
han also fetched some items that he was able
to use to collect rain water, such as plastic
sheeting. He had to live on just over a pint of
water a day.
It is possible to also drink the blood of turtles,
birds, or other creatures if no water is available.
Callahan was able to survive for as long as
he did because he very carefully managed his
resources. In order to get enough food to eat, he
developed a kind of ecosystem around his 6-
foot life raft. Birds would eat the left over ele-
ments of the fish, barnacles, and even other

Never Give Up
birds he was able to catch. In fact, it was ulti- mirror, as much water as possible, emergency
mately the cloud of birds around his raft that rations, essential medications, a first aid kit, a
showed fisherman where to find him off the solar still or purifier, a patch kit, a knife, a solar
coast of Guadeloupe. He’d lost approximately blanket, fishing gear, sunscreen, bailer, paper
one-third of his bodyweight. and pen in a zip lock bag, spare prescription
What was important in Callahan’s case is glasses or sunglasses and binoculars.
that he had a buoyant and highly visible emer-
gency kit on hand whose contents included SIGNAL FOR HELP
many of the following items that a survivalist A key feature of survival is making certain
would need: a registered emergency beacon, a that when a vessel comes within sight, you can
handheld VHF radio, a selection of flares and signal it in some way so it can rescue you. It is
smoke signals, a strobe light, a whistle, a signal necessary to know the emergency vessel’s
This graphic depicts the

approximate location of
a vessel in distress and
the potential search
areas plotted by the
Coast Guard Sector
Honolulu Command
Center, Aug. 12, 2014. A
man was rescued from a
life raft after his 41-foot
sailboat sank seven
miles south of Diamond
Head, Oahu.

location as well, and having a map of some

kind that indicates shipping lanes is very help-
“A LIFE RAFT IS NOT A SAILING VESSEL, HOWEVER PORTRAYED IN THE
ful. If the vessel’s current location is such that SALES LITERATURE; IT IS MERELY A SET OF RUBBER TUBES WITH THE SOLE
traffic will be too low to find the life raft, navi- PURPOSE OF KEEPING SURVIVORS OUT OF THE WATER UNTIL RESCUE.”
gating the craft to the shipping lanes may pro-
— JAMES MANDEVILLE, SURVIVAL AT SEA
mote survival.
Consider the case of Dougal Robinson and
his family, who survived at sea for 38 days. The As for Steven Callahan, an experienced sailor
family’s 43-foot wooden schooner was holed by and Naval Architect, his Emergency Position
a pod of killer whales west of the Galapagos Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) was intended
Islands – by now it should be clear to view to signal nearby craft, whether ships or planes,
whales only from a distance. The Robinsons but he was in such an isolated part of the ocean
were able to board their life raft, grab their no shipping lanes were close enough to support
emergency kit, and attach a dingy to the raft. rescue. Because this wreck occurred in the
From materials salvaged from the sinking ship, 1980s the EPIRB was not being monitored by
Robinson built a sail that he used to guide the satellite, and no vessel noticed the many flares
family toward nearby shipping lanes. Improvised he brought with him. Modern day EPIRB units
sails can be made from materials as simple as communicate via satellite, but also may contain
plastic sheeting and string or rope. Dougal’s wife
– a former nurse – devised a way to stretch out
the turtle blood and old water that was turning
and becoming poisonous. She devised a system
to give the family members enemas using tubes
from a ladder that permitted a modicum of
hydration. Their life raft eventually failed after 16
days and they were forced to board the dingy.
Using prevailing winds and currents, they were
able to approach the Panama Canal shipping
lanes where they were sighted by a fishing
trawler heading for the canal. Robinson had the
foresight to bring along flares he used to signal
the ship. While remaining a primitive form of sig-
naling, flares can still be used effectively to
achieve the goal of being sighted. Mayday sig-
nals can also be broadcast on VHF channel 16 or
via HF frequency 2182. Orange smoke, red flares,
or launching distress rockets are other means of
signaling for help.

a GPS device allowing rescuers to locate you

within 50 feet. For Callahan, his many emer-
gency preparations did not speed his rescue but
they did allow him to stay alive. Even if attempts
to get noticed and rescued fail, maintaining dis-
cipline of resources and staying as healthy as
possible for as long as possible are key. Methods
of signaling ships can also take the form of
An Interview decision to retire sometime in the pares for. How do you go about on the weekends. Two anchors,
next couple of years. That made preventing these incidents? oversized, with a heavy-duty
with Lt. Colonel me wonder, as most career sol- You know that old joke, windless to bring them up? My
Robert Bateman diers must at some point, “What “You’re not being paranoid if kind of sailor. As for myself, my
It is said that an ounce of preven- am I going to do when I grow up?” somebody really is trying to kill primary anchor is 200% oversized
tion is worth a pound of cure. After a while I decided that “grow- you”? Well, after 25 years in the with an all-chain rode, my sec-
While having the skills to survive a ing up” (in other words, wearing a infantry that has become sort of ondary is 175% with half chain,
disaster are important, perhaps suit and a tie) was not really my ingrained in my DNA. So my first and disassembled in the bilge I
more important is the ability to preferred way of life. From there it line of defense is information, I am have a third anchor and anchor
prevent that disaster in the first was a short intellectual journey to an obsessive about wind, waves, chain of an entirely different
place. Lt. Col. Robert Bateman what I am doing now, sailing and barometric pressure readings, and design for different conditions or
(ret.) is a prolific author and a writing military history. In this case NOAA data files and forecasts. emergencies.
recently retired military officer. I realized that most military histo- The best way to survive a storm is It is the same way with my
Bateman won the 2004 Colby rians ignore the sea, and most not to find yourself in a storm in navigation and charts. Of course
Award for military history for his maritime/naval historians ignore the first damned place. on my chart plotter I have all the
book No Gun Ri: A Military History the land and the coast. Almost After that, aboard the boat it most current data chips, but then
of the Korean War Incident. nobody has written about Amer- is all about redundancy. I found in in addition to that I purchased
His thoughts on preventing ica’s intimate relationship with the last several years as I would be paper charts for the entire US East
disasters at sea are below. the sea and her own coastal walking around marinas ogling Coast, and I have downloaded
defenses in any sort of compre- OPBs (Other People’s Boats) that every NOAA chart for the Western
1. Lt. Col. Bateman, you are cur- hensive manner, and to do that I had become what I call an Hemisphere onto my phone and
rently sailing across the East- the right way I would need to see “anchor snob.” Most boats do not my laptop … and I have a second
ern Seaboard of the United the coast from the sea myself, have serious anchors, or even laptop with those same charts. In
States with your wife and child preferably from the deck of a sail- appropriate anchors. I would walk other words, I have five different
and various crew members in a boat. So that is what I am doing. around and judge the owners sets of the same data. You know,
47 foot Beneteau 473. What It helps a little that I already had a based upon the weight and design just in case.
prompted your decision to little more than 10,000 miles of of what they were carrying on the Even I admit, however, that I
make this journey? sailing experience before I set out. bow. One undersized anchor? Yea, might be a little excessive with my
During my last tour in he’s not serious and may be a dan- pumps.
Afghanistan, 2011-2012, I realized 2. Obviously a person sailing ger to himself and others. One suf- The bilge pump is what takes
that I was getting a little long in that distance with their family ficient or oversized anchor? OK, he water out of your hull because,
the tooth to be doing what I’d has a serious interest in pre- is probably at least competent, well, if it does not that is what we
been doing for more than 20 venting the kinds of at-sea inci- but not really a long-distance guy, sailors call “sinking.” I have a pri-
years. That was when I made the dents that our readership pre- probably just stays local and sails mary pump in my center bilge

ASG-1502-SURVIVESEA-CX 12/12/14 12:15 AM Page 85
“BEFORE DEPARTING ON ANY TRIP, TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR WATERCRAFT AND UNDERSTAND ITS CAPABILITIES
IN RELATION TO THE AREA YOU INTEND TO TRAVEL INTO. CAN IT HANDLE THE TRAFFIC, TIDES, AND WAVES? IF YOU ARE
UNCERTAIN ABOUT YOUR CRAFT’S CAPABILITIES, IT MAY BE BEST TO STAY HOME.” — GREG DAVENPORT, SURVIVING COASTAL AND OPEN WATER
international signal flags showing NC, a square

flag having above it or below it a ball (or any-
thing resembling a ball), or raising or lowering
arms outstretched to each side.
Never give up.
A recurring theme in virtually every story of
survival, these three words indicate the single
most critical factor in surviving an emergency
at sea. Maintaining the discipline to carefully
administer your resources, to keep your head if
you fall in the water, to acquire food and water
by any means necessary, and to work tirelessly
to reach rescuers is not an easy thing. The will
to live and to endlessly power through under
dire conditions is what kept these survivors
alive. Dig down deep, keep your head and never
ever give up. These are the key tenets of ocean
survival.
compartment which is automatic. Since I do a lot of offshore sail- and some additional water. As to keep him alive. His vessel was
It’s pretty much like the average ing, which also means I’m sailing the saying goes, one always steps recovered but he was not.
sump pump in your house. Then I 24/7 at times, life preservers are UP into a life raft (meaning you > Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure
have another, of nearly the same essential. I carry enough for seven don’t abandon your boat until (2001) – This documentary details
design, in the aft bilge, which is adults and two children, and at your boat abandons you, verti- the true story of Sir Ernest Shack-
also pretty normal and stock. But night anyone topside in the cockpit cally), and the last thing I grab leton, who attempted to conduct
then I bought a third electric must be wearing one. Further, each before climbing up out of my boat the world’s first Trans-Arctic Expe-
pump and wired it with 30 feet of evening I rig what are called “jack is that ditch bag. dition. Unfortunately his ship, the
cable attached to alligator clips lines” fore to aft along the sides of Endurance, became trapped in the
and a 20-foot hose. That one I can my deck. These are about the Movies, Books and Documen- ice and was eventually crushed. A
take to any part of the boat and equivalent to 10,000 lb nylon tow- taries about Survival at Sea: if testament to the will of man, all
throw it in where there may be ing cables. If anyone leaves the you are interested in further read- 28 men survived almost two years
flooding and it will gush out 1,500 cockpit to go forward at night they ing on the subject, here are a few in the absolutely inhospitable cli-
gallons per hour down that hose must clip into these lines with a sources that may help you to learn mate of the Antarctic.
and out one of my portholes. tether. The life jackets have an more technique and methods. > Cast Away (2000) – This film is
Then, I also have three hand integrated harness built in. > Survive the Savage Sea (1992) – the fictionalized account of a
pumps as well. One is built into Finally, there is the life raft This film is based on the true story FedEx employee who boards an
the hull and the other two can be and my “ditch bag.” Mine is, natu- of a family that fulfills their lifelong ill-fated flight. After the crash, he
located wherever they need to be. rally, rated for the open ocean and dream of purchasing a yacht only washes up on the shore of a
So yea, maybe a bit much, but can comfortably hold six people. to have if sink shortly after pur- deserted island and is forced to
hey, this is my house and my wife It has a double insulated bottom chase. The life raft they purchased use the materials of the plane
and daughter are on-board. Can (helps when the water is cold), was far too small for the number of that wash up on the beach, as
you blame me if I have replace- and contains food, water, fishing people aboard the vessel. This is well as the scant resources that
ments for the replacements of the gear, and signal gear. In my ditch the story of their attempt to sur- are available to him on the island,
replacements? After all, there is bag I keep a supplemental GPS, vive after the sinking. to survive.
always something that will go plus a sextant, an EPRIB (a satel- > Solo: Lost at Sea (2008) – This > Adrift by Steve Callahan – A
wrong, and if it goes too wrong, lite communications device which is the story of Andrew McAuley, an New York Times Bestseller for
my house sinks. is registered to my boat and sends Australian adventurer who more than 36 weeks, this book is
position via satellite for a long attempted the crossing from Tas- the firsthand account of Steven
3. Is there any particular type of time after it is activated), and a mania to New Zealand in a solo Callahan, who survived alone at
gear or equipment you recom- whole lot more signaling devices kayak. He spent a month at sea sea for 76 days. His small sloop
mend to promote the safety of (flares, smoke, sea dye, signal mir- before his story ended in tragedy. capsized only six days out; he sur-
your vessel and your crew and ror, hand-held VHF, etc.) in addi- His preparations, while quite vived by staying alive in a small
family? tion to some clothing, some food, extensive, were not quite enough inflatable raft.

ASG-1502-STICK 12/9/14 2:58 AM Page 86
URBAN E STAFF
The
E Staff
PEACE OF MIND IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND
Story and Photography by Tim Ralston
t is difficult to predict how you would react when faced with a survival
situation. Plan all you might, there is nothing more intense than being
in that moment. Your adrenaline is pumping, heart pounding, knowing
you must instantaneously make your next move. When your primal
fear kicks in, sometimes your body moves faster than your brain can
process. This natural response is referred to as fight-or-flight.
While you may not be able to foresee your fate in a fight-or-flight sce-
nario, there are ways to ensure that you always have a fighting chance. It is
possible to gain this advantage through preparedness. By equipping your-
self with the elemental tools of survival, you are provided options. Whether
you are forced to physically defend yourself, or suddenly bug out from a
catastrophe…these provisions have the capability of saving your life.

ASG-1502-STICK 12/9/14 2:58 AM Page 87
As an inventor, it is in my nature to discover

solutions to the problems which plague me.
With how important it is to be prepared at all
times, I have been developing a range of multi-
functioned survival tools designed to be carried
with ease. This way you always have what you
need at your fingertips at a moment’s notice.
My latest innovation to add to the Ralston
brand collection is the E Staff. This aluminum
and steel hiking pole gives you peace of mind
all in the palm of your hand. Not only does it
offer you the stability of a walking stick, it has a
secret swivel compartment to be filled with E Staff Specs
your most essential gear. There is enough room Material: Aluminum and Steel
to store items such as a multi-tool, first aid kit, Weight (empty): 3 lbs.
flashlight, fire starter and more. You can cus- Length: 61 inches
tomize it to fit your own preparedness needs. Diameter: 1 ½ inches
The bottom of the E Staff transforms into a Storage Compartment: 14 ½ inches x 1 inch
five-inch spear blade weapon. This feature is Spear: 5 inches
perfect for hunting game or can be used for Drinking Vessel: 5 ½ inches
your protection. With a turn of the blade a two
pronged spear emerges, ideal for frogs and
fishing. In addition, 30 feet of paracord is
wrapped around the E Staff. Cordage has many weapon, just grab your E Staff. With it you
versatile uses in survival such as building shel- always have a back-up plan to the back-up plan.
ter, fishing and creating traps. The E Staff is also intended to be used as a
The E Staff’s handle doubles as a drinking tool for hiking treks. There are many times
vessel with a carbon filtered water straw. This when a person plans a shorter day trip, believ-
vessel can be heated over an open flame for ing they do not need to bring extra supplies.
sterilization purposes. There is also room for This in fact is a very dangerous risk. Every year
the storage of 8 ounces of liquid in the E Staff. thousands of hikers get lost within our wilder-
ness parks. No matter the size of your excur-
STAY PREPARED sion, it is imperative to always be prepared with
In the most ideal situation, you would have the essentials.
as many supplies as possible in order to survive. For this reason, the E Staff is an excellent
Yet for the times when you are forced to move piece of gear to accompany any hiker. It pro-
quickly, and your BOB is inaccessible…the E vides support and balance to ensure safety out
Staff will be your savior. The thin compacted on the trail. You can also store all of the most
design makes it easy to store under your bed, in important emergency items within. Some sug-
a vehicle, or at the office. If you were ever in gestions would be a whistle, fire starter, com-
need of a speedy getaway or a self-defense pass, flashlight and energy bars.

ASG-1502-NITROPAK 12/9/14 3:05 AM Page 88
The double-wrapped
handle on the other end is
The Nitro-Pak 72-hour
great for pulling it from
emergency kit for four
the corner of the closet or
people is contained in
garage storage space.
this well-made and
sturdy bag.
The zippers are strong

and can be locked for
Pack
extra protection from
potential pilferers.
Mentality
NITRO-PAK’S 72-HOUR FOUR-PERSON GETAWAY KIT
Story and Photography by Ryan Lee Price
The locking and tele-
scoping handle is he mountain passes have been down the mountain. One essential bag to grab
great to help transport
the pack from place to snowed in for most of the month is Nitro-Pak’s 72-hour, four-person emergency
place. In conjunction and restricted to local residents kit. You know that a bug-out bag is indispens-
with the wheels, it
only, as the threats of avalanches able to any plan, especially one that involves
moves very easily.
have been on the minds of every- the safety of your entire family. The idea of
one in town. Your tight-knit neighborhood has being snow-bound on a deserted road in the
mostly cleared out ahead of another impending middle of winter without any supplies is dis-
storm that is slated to dump a considerable heartening, but with your whole family, it is
amount of snow on an already fragile moun- unforgivable. In December 1992, Jim and Jen-
tainside. Snow chains are required on the local nifer Stolpa and their five-month-old son took
roads and four-wheel-drive vehicles are recom- a wrong turn down an unplowed road in a
mended. Considering that the supplies at the remote region of Nevada on their way to a fam-
general store are dwindling, you’ve decided ily function. A snowstorm stranded them there
there isn’t enough for you and your family to for eight days (five of them in an improvised
The pack itself has last in your house for longer than a couple of snow cave) until Jim decided to walk 70 miles
three wheels on one
days. It’s time to leave. through the storm to rescue. Both Jim and Jen-
end to make it easy to
roll. It weighs 40 As the black clouds crest the ridge and the nifer suffered from extensive frostbite and had
pounds and might be temperatures plummet, there isn’t a whole lot to have part of their feet amputated. Ulti-
difficult to move from
place to place.
of time to pack up the truck for your journey mately, the story had a happy ending but could

have been better had they equipped them-

selves with an emergency getaway pack like
this one from Nitro-Pak.
PRE-PACKAGED VS. DIY

There are plenty of ways to build your own
emergency bag, and we have covered some of
them in previous issues (and will do so in future
issues). For some with specific needs or an
already extensive collection of materials that
typically go into an emergency bag, building
one yourself is a viable option, provided you
have the right equipment, the right size bag,
and the right idea of what you think you might
A
need in the future. Few can satisfy those condi-
tions, as most of the essentials that make up a
well-stocked bag are part of our everyday lives: B C
food, tents, ponchos, etc., and we have troubles
spiriting them away in a kit that will only see
use in an emergency. Additionally, the idea of a
quality bug-out bag goes beyond the things you
have around the house. The bag usually
requires a host of specialty items that usually
have a singular purpose. Once they go into your
bag, they cannot be used unless it is an emer-
gency situation. Scavenging from the bag is
counter-intuitive to your own safety and goes
against the concept of having an emergency
bag in the first place.
The beauty of having a pre-packaged kit is
several-fold. Starting with the bag itself, it is
strong enough and large enough to perfectly fit D
all that the kit includes and there’s room for

some personal items also. With a pre-packed
kit there’s no thinking involved. Nitro-Pak has
thought of everything when they pieced
together this kit, so you don’t have to spend a
small fortune on individual items or wander
around your house looking for a host of items
you probably use and will be tempted to use. A
pre-packed kit has a “set it and forget it” men-
tality, meaning that you can bring it home and
hide it away and not give it another thought
until the inevitable arrives and you need it.
EMERGENCY KIT USE AND STORAGE

This isn’t a kit you keep in your car or the
locker at the gym, and it isn’t one you’ll ever
take camping or even in the RV. It is large and
well stocked, therefore it should be kept at
home in a central place in your house. Since
many emergencies you might be involved in are A. Survival bags, hand warmers, ponchos, tents, and blankets will keep you warm on a
very cold night in unfamiliar territory. B. Toiletries and hygiene items offer a sense of
the kind that destroy structures (earthquakes,
normalcy while helping rid the body of potential dirt that causes disease. C. The light-
hurricanes, tornadoes), find a place in your weight tube tent is eight feet long and will keep out the weather in a tough situation.
house that mostly likely will survive, for D. Keeping the body clean, especially over a long period of time is important. So is
light and protection against dust and biological elements found in the air. The potas-
instance, a downstairs closet in the core of your
sium iodide is used as a thyroid block during radiation emergencies.
house, a basement, or under the stairs. If the kit

Pack Mentality
enough to easily hold everything included

inside, with enough room to accommodate
additional items (personal needs, medical sup-
plies, additional equipment you might need in
your particular region). The kit itself is 40
pounds, so the robust handles are strong
F enough to carry the bag, but it comes with
wheels and an extendable plastic handle on
the other end so it can be rolled easily where it
E. A tri-fold shovel and is destroyed in an emergency, it won’t do you needs to go. It also has a padded shoulder
gloves are essential
any good, so keep it safe. strap and two extra pockets on the outside to
tools when digging slit
trenches preparing fire- This goes without saying, but the kit is for keep readily accessible things. It’s a great place
wood. F. The Voodoo emergencies only and should be reserved for to put the equipment list to quickly remind
Tactical multi-tool is a
this. Cannibalizing from you kit — food, water, yourself what is in it. The equipment included
welcomed surprise, as it
is a high quality tool tools — only hurts the future you in whatever can be broken down into six different cate-
with countless uses. peril the future you falls into. When you are gories: warmth/shelter, heat/light,
G. A small portable
stove that connects to knee-deep in snow digging for the hand warm- water/hygiene, first-aid, food, and gear with 275
the canister of fuel gel ers or stuck in a downpour looking for the pon- items total.
can heat water and cook
chos only to remember that you took them to
meals, is easy to light
and lasts a long time in your kid’s soccer game last December, you’ll be WARMTH AND SHELTER
most weather. H. The out of luck. Your life could depend on it, so once First and foremost, in any survival situation,
36-hour candle provides
you find a secure and out-of-the-way place to shelter is paramount and should be at the top
light and a source of
comfort and a little heat store your kit, the only reason you should go of your list. Included here are two 8-foot tube
during the night. It can into it — besides at the end of the world — is if tents, four space blankets and four emergency
also be used to keep a
flame alive. you need to replace the MREs and water ponchos. There’s a yellow emergency blanket
pouches when they expire. that can be used to carry a victim or as a tarp.
The four survival bags have a host of uses, from
THE SURVIVAL KIT makeshift ponchos to keep out the weather or
Nitro-Pak’s 72-hour four-person getaway kit to carry a variety of things. Underlying it all is a
is a formidable ally in any emergency situation. thick wool blanket that makes a great pad, pil-
The bag itself is a sturdy container large low or for warmth.

COOKING, HEATING, AND LIGHT

Flashlight and batteries and a three-
wick 36-hour candle will provide light
and comfort on the cold dark nights,
as will the two 12-hour light sticks.
There’s a small cooking stove with an
AlcoBrite gel fuel source. Getting it all J
started is 48 waterproof matches, and
helping to stay warm will be a little eas-
ier with eight 18-hour heat packs. Water
can be heated over the stove with the four
supplied Sierra cups. I
WATER AND HYGIENE

Without water, it doesn’t matter how much I. The drinking pouches
and emergency food
survival equipment you have with you because rations provide a quick
your time is limited. Thanks to 12 4.2-ounce high-calorie snack.
J. Each MRE is individually
pouches of drinking water, you can enjoy fresh
sealed and will provide
clean water for a little while longer. The several hundred calories
pouches have a five-year shelf life and writing of much needed energy.
K. Water can be captured,
the date on the bags might be helpful. Addi-
stored, and carried in this
tionally, there are 10 water purification tablets two-gallon container and
to purify water when the pouches run out. To heated up in these four
Sierra cups.
transport water from its source to your camp, a K
two-gallon water carrier is included.

Pack Mentality
L
FOOD
Though the backcountry is literally full of
food choices if you know where to look and
M
what to do when you’ve found them, some-
times you won’t have access to them. The 18
high-calorie ration bars contain 400 calories
each, are low sodium and high in vitamins. For
additional vitamins there are 12 E-mergen-C
“fizzy” drink mixes that provide 1,000mgs of
Vitamin C as well as a host of other vitamins,
including zinc and manganese.
One of the biggest aspect of this kit are the
nine complete MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). For
example, one pack includes chicken and noo-
dles with vegetables in sauce, with potato
cheddar soup, crackers, candies, and coffee.
SURVIVAL GEAR
Personal items aside, this kit contains a host
of survival tools that will make your survival sit-
L. The first aid kit con- Hygiene is a good part of physical health in a uation slightly easier, more comfortable, and
tains 60 items to patch
up you and your mates,
survival situation, but also it benefits morale completely survivable regardless of the situa-
and it includes a mirror when you have fresh breath and a clean body. tion. Dust masks and iodide tablets will protect
for signaling as well as a Parasites and bugs, dirt and grime can lead to you from outside contaminants. There’s also a
first aid reference book.
M. A variety of gear set disease. Packs of tissue, toilet paper, sanitary needle and thread for mending, leather gloves
to keep you secure and bags, dirty clothes bags, soap and towelettes for handling sharp or dangerous items, and a
safe as well as help you
stave off dirty and disease. The combs, tooth- shovel for digging a latrine or a runoff drain
overcome whatever
calamity has befallen brushes and toothpaste just make you feel around your tents.
you, from a flashlight more human in a dire situation. To keep abreast of the goings on in the world
and matches to a sewing
kit, signal whistle and
(if you find yourself far-flung from it) is a Kaito
50-foot cord to vitamin FIRST AID Voyager Trek AM/FM radio/flashlight that can
C drinks, paper and Accidents happen, while disasters provide be powered by solar, AAA batteries, USB, AC, or
pen/pencil, playing
cards and root beer-fla- their own share of injuries that will require crank, and can be used to power USB-equipped
vored candies. N. The immediate attention. Leaving a wound devices. Fifty feet of nylon cord has untold uses,
nine MREs have a variety
untreated will only lead to infection and a bevy as does the Voodoo tactical multi-tool.
of entrées and side
dishes to provide meal of additional problems. The first aid kit Sometimes, sanity is only a game away.
diversity. Each pack included here has 60 essential first aid items Being stuck in a survival situation can be bor-
comes with a pack of
matches, cracker, coffee
including two pairs of exam gloves and a first ing, believe it or not, so it’s helpful to have a
or tea, dessert, candies, aid reference book. Five sanitary napkins can be deck of cards to keep you company, as well as a
wipes, and condiments. used for either feminine needs or first aid use. pad of paper, a pen, and a pencil for notes.

Nitro-Pak 72 Water Pouches 1 Bag of High Energy

Hour, Four-Person (4.2 oz. each) Candy
Getaway Kit 1 2 Gallon Water 12 E-mergen-C Energy
Includes: Carrier (pre-fill prior Drink Packets
2 Deluxe 2-Person 8’ to evacuation) 1 Premium Heavy-Duty
Tube Tents 10 U.S. Military Nylon 3-Way Carrying
1 Wool Emergency MICROPUR Water Storage Bag
Blanket Purification Tablets 1 Solar Dynamo AM/FM
4 Survival Bags 2 Small Roll Tissue Radio w/ Four Way
1 Emergency Rescue Packet Power
Blanket (yellow) 3 Sanitary Disposable 1 Quality Tri-Folding
4 Emergency SPACE® Toilet Bags Emergency Shovel
Brand Blankets 1 Soft Toilet Tissue Roll 1 50’ Nylon Utility Cord
4 Emergency Ponchos 4 Clothes Wrap Bags 28 Potassium Iodide
1 36 Hour Emergency 1 Bar of Soap Tablets (for Radiation
Candle 4 Toothbrushes Emergencies)
1 Deluxe AA LED 1 Tube of Toothpaste 1 Emergency NATO
Flashlight 2 Hair Combs Survival Whistle
2 Flashlight Batteries 36 Wet Wipe Towlettes 1 Deluxe Sewing Kit
2 12 Hour Instant Light 4 Facial Tissue Packets with Needle, Thread,
The radio will keep
Sticks 1 Deluxe First-Aid Kit & Buttons
you in contact with
the outside world, is 1 Adjustable Heat/ with 60 Essential First 1 Swiss Type 15 Function
powered by a vari- Cooking Stove Aid Items Pocket Knife
ety of sources and
can even provide
1 AlcoBrite Heat-Gel Fuel 1 First Aid Book 1 Pair of Leather Gloves
power to any USB 4 Sierra Cups for Drink- 4 Nitrile Exam Gloves 4 Hospital Grade “3M”
device. On one end is a ing & Heating Water 5 Sanitary Napkins N95 Folding Dust Masks
five-LED flashlight.
48 Waterproof Matches 9 MRE Complete Meal 1 Notepad
8 Emergency 18hr Body Units 1 Writing Pen
SOURCE Heat-Packs 2 3600 Calorie Emer- 1 Pencil
nitro-pak.com | MSRP: $297.49 12 5yr Shelf-life Drinking gency Food Rations 1 Deck of Playing Cards
WE CARRY A FULL LINE OF TRUSTED SURVIVAL PRODUCTS

INCLUDING:
Eberlestock, Ontario Knife Company, LifeStraw,
Fox Tactical, UST, Mossy Oak, SureFire,
Leatherman, GSI, CRKT, Coghlan's,
Adventure Medical Kits, Dynarex, Outdoor Edge
and many more.
SurvivalBagsInc.com WARNING – THESE SURVIVAL BAGS ARE NOT FILLED WITH TOYS

ASG-1502-MINI 12/9/14 3:10 AM Page 94
HOW-TO MINI SURVIVAL KIT
Tiny
Survivor
BUILD YOUR OWN MINI SURVIVAL KIT
Story and Photograph by William “Billy” Boggs
igger isn’t always better. Sure, a large sur-

vival kit packs a punch when you need it
and has a great place in your emergency
supplies collection, but it is just that - large.
Multi-person survival kits are great for sta-
tionary situations, like an earthquake, tornado, or some
disaster scenario that prevents you or your family from
leaving and replenishing supplies elsewhere. There’s
usually food, water, sanitation, emergency medical
equipment, and general gear for staying put. But what if
you have to leave in hurry?
What if you find yourself in such a dire situation that [ABOVE]: There are a variety of choices for containers to use, some of
you must leave immediately, no questions asked and which will provide more space for more things or a different kind of space
for a different kind of thing. The small plastic boxes are partitioned for
with nothing but the clothes on your back and the stuff
better organization, while the traveler’s wallet can be used for flatter
in your pockets? What then? What do you grab on the items, has zippered pockets, and has plastic windows for IDs or other
way out? things. [TOP]: The little mint container is just the perfect size to hold a sur-
prisingly large variety of things, all while keeping a low profile, providing
Your bug-out bag is in the back of the upstairs closet easy access and extreme portability.
where you keep it out of the way, or maybe there’s no
space on whatever’s transporting you out of the area.

ASG-1502-MINI 12/9/14 3:10 AM Page 95
A. There are dozens of things available and appropriate

that can be included in your mini survival kit, and
depending on the size of your container, include as
much as you see fit to include. B. What we decided was
best for us to include in our kit may differ from your
own priorities. We made sure to include a mini tooth-
brush (green cap) because dental hygiene is important
to morale, and the mini dice? You’d be surprised how
much sanity can be restored to a bad situation by a
game. C. Laid out, the contents of our kit look impres-
sive, and we were surprised everything fit. However,
that fitment literally came down to the difference
between five pieces of paper or six.
You have your wallet, your wedding ring, and a

mini survival kit you keep near the door for just
such occurrences.
It has what you would need or want inside. It
is tiny enough to fit in any pocket (or to easily
hide), and you know exactly what’s in it,
because you made it yourself. And here’s how.
There are a host of containers available
around which to base your mini survival kit.
There’s a larger traveler’s wallet (it’s even RFID B
protected), little plastic storage boxes, a travel

soap container and even a small zippered
pouch used to carry plastic bags for your dog.
The best container, however, is the ubiquitous
Altoids tin. They’re cheap, sturdy and perfectly
sized to not only fit in your pocket but fit stuff in
them. Once you’ve emptied out the “curiously
strong mints” and washed out the container,
you can either give it a coat of paint for person-
alization or leave it looking like a tin of mints to
give it a more clandestine appearance (if you’re
ever in a situation where someone is frisking
you down, they might pass on a simple-looking
mint container).
There are dozens of things you could put
inside… literally dozens of things that could
help you in a wide variety of situations. The
prepper in you will want to include them all
because you won’t know what trouble you will C
fall into, but the practical person in you knows
that a mint tin is only so big and it can only hold
so much. So, sacrifices have to be made: No
toilet paper, no tiny bar of soap, no moist wipes,
no insect repellent wipes, no whistle, one cot-
ton ball instead of two, four matches instead of
a pack, a small knife instead of a multi-tool,
two dollars instead of four.
This mini kit isn’t supposed to be inclusive —
it can’t be — and it isn’t supposed to include
creature comforts — it won’t — but what it is
supposed to do is give you a big advantage in a
small package.
However, have you got a tiny bit of extra
room in the corner? Throw in a mint. It won’t
help you survive, but it will help you feel a little
more human.

ASG-1502-MINI 12/9/14 3:10 AM Page 96
Tiny Survivor
J
F
D
K
G
D. Always include money in your kit, but why
a $2 bill? Inflation. A dollar doesn’t go as far
as it used to, and any more than that and
you’ll be tempted to pilfer from it when
you’re craving a taco one day. The pencil and
paper are to keep notes of your adventure or
to leave a message for someone.
E. A mirror, matches, a square foot of tin foil
for cooking are useful. The small emery
board can be used as a striker for the
matches, while the Fresnel lens can be used
to start fires and is the perfect size to fit in
the mint tin. L
F. A couple of basic medical things should be
included, like band-aides and an alcohol
H
wipe. The cotton ball and ear swabs have a
number of uses. If the swabs are too long for
your kit, they can be cut in half.
G. Sewing kits can be used to mend clothing,
sure, but it can also be used to mend you.
Giving yourself stitches doesn’t sound like a
whole lot of fun, but neither does bleeding to
death. Also included is a safety pin, paper
clip and a foot of duct tape.
H. Fishing line, dental floss, hooks, and a
sinker are all helpful if you are surviving in a I
wilderness environment where the possibil-
ity of fishing is available.
I. A small button-battery flashlight is essen-
tial (they make them smaller even), a single-
blade pocket knife, a razor blade, and a rub-
ber band all have countless applications. The
dice are included to stave off boredom and
can be used to keep the brain active and alert.
J. The biggest trick is to place things into your
container in a combination of two ways: 1)
how it best fits; and 2) the likelihood of use. M
Organize your mini survival kit so that the
items fit most efficiently, but also so that you
can easily reach what you’ll need quickly. Put
the pocket knife, flashlight, and band-aides
on top, for instance, while the matches, paper, N
and fish hooks can go toward the bottom.
K. A little trick is to cut the corners off of the
paper and packaged things so they better fit
in the rounded corners of the mint tin.
L. The mirror can be glued to the inside lid of
the tin so that it can be available quickly if
used as a signal device.
M. Once completed, make sure it won’t fall
open by double wrapping a rubber band
around the tin. Though it does have some
friction closures, if you packed it correctly, it
will be bursting at the seams.
N. If you live in wet environments or there’s
the possibility of ending up in water, seal
your mini survival kit in a standard sandwich
bag. Not only will it keep the kit waterproof,
but the bag can be used for a host of things.

ASG_1502_97 12/9/14 2:35 AM Page 97
J A N T Z
knifemaking.com
Pattern 42 Blades
Overall Length: 6 5/8”, Blade Length:
Pattern 41 Blades 2 5/8”, Width: 7/8”, Thickness: 1/8”
Pattern 45 Blades
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ASG-1502-BEACH 12/9/14 3:12 AM Page 98
BACKCOUNTRY EDIBLE PLANTS
Sand WILD FOODS FOUND AT THE BEACH

&Salad
Along the coast certain edible plants can be found

in abundance. A select few can be found on just about any of the North
American coasts. Let’s take a look at some of these beach plants.

ASG-1502-BEACH 12/9/14 3:13 AM Page 99
Orach
Orach
When most people see the orach plants (Atriplex
spp. – there are several species) on the beaches above “IT IS ONE OF THE
the high-tide line they think they are looking at a FIRST PLANTS A WILD
lamb’s quarter plant. The very common lamb’s quar-
ter is a European native which today can be found in
FOOD FORAGER
disturbed soils just about anywhere in the world. It is LEARNS ABOUT
one of the first plants a wild food forager learns about BECAUSE IT IS WIDE-
because it is widespread, easy to identify, and quite SPREAD, EASY TO
useful in a variety of dishes.
Orach is in the same Goosefoot family as lamb’s
IDENTIFY, AND QUITE
quarter, but in a different genus. Orach is visually USEFUL IN A VARIETY
similar to lamb’s quarter, bearing pale green leaves OF DISHES. ”
coated with a whitish film that is rubbed off easily.
However, orach leaves have a unique shape that
resembles an arrowhead with backward pointing
barbs (a shape botanists refer to as hastate).
Orach is often widely scattered and rarely forms in
dense patches. When you take a single leaf and taste it
there is initially a mild saltiness that may give way to a
hint of bitterness. Once rinsed, young orach leaves
can be added to a salad, but you probably wouldn’t
use these leaves as a primary salad ingredient because
they are a bit on the strong side.
I like them best when they are rinsed well and then
cooked with other greens for a green dish or a stew.
They are like spinach or lamb’s quarter once cooked.
I once took some seed and found the orach plant
grew very well in my urban Southern California back-
yard. In fact, when grown in my back yard instead of
the beach, the leaves were significantly milder and
actually tasted good in salad. The plant readily
reseeds, so if you like the plant you can have it in your
backyard “forever” assuming your plants get some
water and shade.

ASG-1502-BEACH 12/9/14 3:13 AM Page 100
Sand
&Salad
Glasswort
Glasswort (Salicornia spp. – there are sev-
eral species) is an interesting and beautiful
low-growing plant appearing in the backbays
and salt flats just slightly inland. The plant
consists of more or less erect succulent stems
of transluscent green that turn red in the fall.
During the fall these plants also produce lots
of seeds that water fowl frequently eat.
Nibble on a few of the stems and it’s tasty,
mild and a bit salty. It goes well with salads,
and makes a good addition to cooked greens
and vegetables too. Yes, you can cook it by
itself and you really should so you get to
know its flavor. However, glasswort seems to
work best when combined with other foods.
It does make good pickles. Take the ten-
der young stems, rinse them and then pack
Glasswort them into a jar. I cover with raw apple cider
vinegar, but I have also used the juice from a
can of olives or jalapenos. You could use reg-
ular pickle juice as well. I like to refrigerate
for a few weeks before eating them.
When Glasswort starts to turn red in the
fall it gets too tough to eat, so this is a sea-
sonal food.
“THE YOUNG SPROUTS ARE TASTY IN SALADS

AND ALSO MAKE A GOOD ADDITION TO SOUPS
AND STEWS.”
Sea Rocket
Sea rocket (Cakile edentula and C. maritime)
is very common along the high tide areas of
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. It’s a semi-suc-
culent sprawling plant whose beautiful little
Sea Rocket four-petaled, white-to-lavendar flowers
betray its membership in the Mustard Family.
Sea rocket leaves and tender portions are
not good in salad because it’s too much like
eating strong horseradish. However, I have
on a few occasions had the good timing to be
around the plants in the late winter after
rains, when hundreds of tiny sprouts were
coming up under the sprawling plant. The
young sprouts are tasty in salads and also
make a good addition to soups and stews.
The leaves and tender portions can also
be cooked as greens or added to other stews,
as well as clam or fish dishes. I recommend
you do a quick boil, drain the water and then
cook again. This makes them tasty and palat-
able to most people. Then you can cook them
into whatever recipe you choose.

ASG-1502-BEACH 12/9/14 3:13 AM Page 101
New Zealand Spinach
New Zealand Spinach

New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetrago-
nioides) is found primarily along the Pacific
Coast, where it sometimes grows thickly in
mats above the high tide line.
When I realized New Zealand spinach
grew wild all along the west coast beaches, I
collected it for both salad and cooked greens.
Pinch off the tender tips and use the plant
just as you’d use ordinary garden spinach.
When you see the plant on the beach, it
does resemble garden spinach. The differ-
ence is New Zealand spinach sprawls over a
much larger area, whereas garden spinach is
typically a single erect stalk. Also, New
Zealand spinach is perennial.
More than 30 years ago, I took a few roots
of New Zealand spinach and planted them in
a large hillside experimental garden measur-
ing about 40 by 40 feet. As long as the plant
was given water periodically it spread and
spread, and my regular harvesting resulted
in even more growth. Since this plant
required very little care, and provided year-
round food, I have long regarded this as one
of the ideal “survival garden” plants that
should do well wherever there are no periods
of sustained frost.
Cattail
Cattail (Typha spp.) is a freshwater plant,
but since so many streams flow into the
ocean I have always found cattails not far
from the coast. Cattail consists of long flat
green leaves – often up to 6 feet long – and a
characteristic flowering spike that looks like a
hotdog on a stick. There are many foods from
the cattail plant, and this is determined by
the season. In spring, before the plant begins
to flower, the tender shoot can be tugged out
of the ground and the green outer layers
peeled away. The white inner core is tender
Cattail
and has a flavor reminiscent of cucumber.
Another easy source of food from the cat-
tail is the flower spike, but you have to pick it
before the spike turns brown and becomes “…IF YOU BOIL IT,
inedible. The green spike is not all that great AND BUTTER IT,
raw, but if you boil it, and butter it, it’s very
much like eating corn on the cob!
IT’S VERY MUCH
These are not the only foods you’ll find on LIKE EATING CORN
the beach, but they are some of the most ON THE COB!”
common edible plants found in many beach
areas.
Christopher Nyerges has been leading ethno-botanical classes and

field trips since 1974. To learn more about his classes and books,
contact him at School of Self-Reliance, Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA
90041, or www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.

ASG-1502-FLASHLIGHT 12/9/14 3:14 AM Page 102
The
Blue
Dot
BRITE-STRIKE’S TACTICAL
TOUCH FLASHLIGHTS
Story and Photography by Gary Kimball
ight is life. It is a strong source of One such product is its line of Tactical At 5.2 and 3.5 inches, respectively,
the BDRC and DB-180 tactical flash-
hope, comfort and security. It Touch Flashlights designed to include the
lights by Brite-Strike are high quality
can provide a boost in morale or Tactical Blue Dot switches which, depend- products built to last.
lead the way to safety and res- ing on the model, allow the user to toggle
cue. Human beings have very quickly between high, low, and a strobe
poor eyesight at night when compared to function.
other mammals in the animal kingdom. These are high quality flashlights,
Many of those found in the backcountry made of the best materials and specifi-
Specifications
have night vision rivaling our daytime cally designed to do their job without Functions: High, Low, and Strobe
vision, so we need to augment our short- flaws in construction. And they’re bright. Length: 5.2 inches (BDRC); 3.5 inches
comings with artificial light. And what bet- Very bright. The intensity of the light, (DB-180)
ter light than from Brite-Strike. especially when it is as high as these, Light Output (BDRC): 340 lumens
Brite-Strike was founded by two police should always be considered a formidable on high, 170 lumens on low
officers, Glenn Bushee and Jon Neal, as a defense weapon. Shining 340 lumens of Light Output (DB-180): 290 lumens
response to the need for higher quality light into someone’s eyes will temporarily on high, 170 lumens on low
equipment for not just police officers in blind them, at least long enough for a per- Run Time (BDRC): 2.5 hours on high,
the field but for citizens on the street. son to escape or return force with force as 8 hours on low, 3 hours on strobe
According to the manufacturer, “Brite- necessary. Run Time (DB-180): 1 hour on high,
Strike makes a promise to always use the The body is CNC-machined from a sin- 3 hours on low, 1.5 hours on strobe
latest technology, world class compo- gle piece of billet aluminum in a unique tri- Warranty: One Year
nents, highest design and manufacturing sided shape that is easier to grip between Beam Distance: 400 feet (BDRC)
standards, so you can rely on your Brite- the fingers while operating the on/off but-
Strike light when you need it.” ton with your thumb. It isn’t waterproof

ASG-1502-FLASHLIGHT 12/9/14 3:14 AM Page 103
but can be used in a heavy rain without con- 1. The design of the barrel
sequences thanks to a rubber o-ring on the of the flashlight is such
that it offers a solid grip,
battery cap end, and it is shock resistant. 4
not only from the unique
The shell of the BDRC-HLS, at just over five triangle shape but from the
cross-hatching in the alu-
inches, fits perfectly in your hand — almost
minum as well. Machined
concealed — while the crowns at both ends from a cylinder of alu-
have a unique shape that can be used to minum, these tactical
lights can be used as a for-
break a window or strike a substantial blow.
midable weapon if neces-
The BD-180-HLS is even smaller. At 3.5 sary, not only by using the
inches, it completely hides in your hand and light itself to blind but the
body of the light as a strik-
only shows when you want it to. ing object. 2. The blue dots
Both models fall into the HLS category, are rubberized and easy to
press. The switches are
which means they have high, low and strobe
rated for 10,000 clicks.
settings. The BD-180’s 123A lithium battery Both of these flashlights
will power the Cree-XREWHT-L1-D01-Q5 can be toggled from high to
low to strobe by a slight
LED bulb for approximately one hour on
flick of the thumb. Note:
5
high, three hours on low and 1.5 hours on Though the end caps look
strobe. This isn’t a long time between bat- identical, they are not
interchangeable. The spe-
tery changes, especially considering how cially designed crowns on
pricey batteries can be in the long run (a 12- the front and back of each
flashlight, when used as a
pack of name brand batteries can run north
striking weapon, concen-
of $20.00—though Brite-Strike insists that trate the force of the blow
only Panasonic or Duracell batteries are onto a small area and
increase the impact. The
used and never a commercially recharge- crown on the rear, though
able 123A battery). An advisable option is to similar in design and func-
upgrade to the BDRC unit, which is not only tion as the front, is thicker.
3. The stout pocket clip is
brighter (340 lumens compared to the DB- made of steel and is
180’s 290) but comes with a rechargeable attached very securely. 6
4. The recharging unit that
2600-mAh lithium-ion battery and the
comes with the BDRC
recharging unit. However, there are several model takes about six
more units to choose from, some with a sin- hours to completely
recharge a depleted bat-
gle or two-cell batteries and others that are tery. 5. The single-cell
rechargeable. lithium battery powers the
The beams of both flashlights come DB-180, which has a life of
only one hour in high-beam
through a polycarbonate lens which helps mode. 6.The rubber o-ring
maintain a bright white light. This allows on the battery pack keeps
out moisture and water
for truer colors. The BDRC can throw its
from the interior of the bat-
beam approximately 400 feet in a wide tery, though these batter-
pattern similar to a flood light. ies are not waterproof.

ASG-1502-HISTORY 12/9/14 3:17 AM Page 104
The
Spirit
ASG
of
A BRIEF HISTORY OF
AMERICAN SURVIVAL
GUIDE MAGAZINE
By Ryan Lee Price
hen American Survival Guide magazine was resurrected

from its ashes four years ago, the publishers could have only hoped it
would become as popular and widely read as it is today.
One of their objectives was to produce a “new” magazine that feeds
the core interests of its readers, whatever their personal goals of survival
preparedness happened to be. However, it may be surprising to some
that its roots were firmly planted 37 years ago by an eccentric motor-
sports enthusiast who wore cowboy boots and white suits and kept a pet
cougar in his office.
A real live cougar. In his office.
To promote his motorcycle parts supply house, AEE Choppers, Tom
McMullen started a magazine for motorcycles in 1969 called Street Chop-
per, which found a successful niche with enough of a toehold start a pub-
lishing empire with his wife. In 1974 they were divorced, and in the set-
tlement she got the parts company and he got the publishing company.
His business practices are the stuff of legend, like the cougar, and a
host of titles poured onto the newsstand in the late 1970s.
One such magazine was Shooter’s Journal in 1978. It was, according to
its tagline, “the complete shooter’s publication.” Produced on a shoe-
string budget by like-minded editors and writers, they filled the pages of
Shooter’s Journal with gun reviews, gear guides and advertising. But the
market was crowded and they experimented by changing its title
throughout the early 1980s before settling on American Survival Guide.
“…ITS ROOTS WERE FIRMLY PLANTED 37 YEARS AGO BY AN ECCENTRIC MOTORSPORTS ENTHUSIAST
WHO WORE COWBOY BOOTS AND WHITE SUITS AND KEPT A PET COUGAR IN HIS OFFICE.”

80
October 19
June 1981
In January 1985, the tagline “Self-Defense, Self-Reliance, and Free-

dom” was added under the title, clearly showing not only the major
themes and focus of the magazine, but the patriotic direction as well.
This tagline, however, lasted only 10 months, then it was dropped
from the cover on the October 1985 issue.
In March 1986, the tagline “The Magazine For Safer Living” was
added under the title as a rather vague replacement of the previous
patriotic assertions. This lasted for three years until the April 1989
issue, when “The Magazine for Self Reliance” replaced it on the May
1989 cover, somewhat returning it to its former, although more pol-
ished and reserved, stance.
In the mid-1980s McMullen’s publishing company was having
financial troubles and Vice President Ken Yee stepped up to become a
partial owner. New publications came and went, some waxed and
waned in popularity, but American Survival Guide soldiered on. In 1994,
Ken Yee died, followed by Tom McMullen in a plane crash one year
later. Exactly, to the day.
That same year, 1995, McMullen-Yee merged with Argus Publish-
ing to become McMullen-Argus. And through the turmoil of the mid- Augu
st 198
90s, American Survival Guide carried on, informing readers about self- 1
sufficiency and independence.

How This
Magazine
Got Its Name
1969 Street Chopper
Tom McMullen started a magazine for
motorcycles in 1969 called Street Chop-
per. It promoted AEE Choppers with fea-
tures, race results, and a few articles
sprinkled in to support the sales of new
products. The new magazine found a suc-
cessful niche with enough toehold to
start his publishing empire, including
titles like Shooter’s Journal a decade later.
1978 Shooter’s Journal

Gun reviews, gear guides and advertising.
It was very popular on the newsstand but
was almost in constant flux throughout
the next decade, giving the appearance
of being unsettled and desperately trying
to carve out a position in a well-popu-
lated market of gun magazines.
Shooter’s Journal played on the interests
of gun owners, staunch patriots, rugged
outdoorsmen and Second Amendment
supporters at a time when the Middle
East was rising to prominence and the
June 1985
Cold War was at its chilliest.
1981 Shooter’s Survival Guide

r 1983
The title was modified to Shooter’s Jour- Decembe
nal and Survival Guide in 1981 and a slight

change of focus concentrated more on Publishing giant Primedia purchased McMullen-Argus in 2000 and
survival articles and camping stories and the last issue of American Survival Guide was published September
less on guns (though guns played the 2000, replaced by Self Reliance Journal. The American Survival Guide logo
central theme for all covers at the time would appear in the upper left cover of the new magazine, but it
and would for the next 10 years). By the wasn’t enough to bolster confidence in the readers. Sales plummeted.
summer of that same year the title was May 2001 was the last issue of Self Reliance Journal and subscribers
yet again changed, this time to Shooter’s instead found issues of Backwoods Home Magazine in their mailboxes
Survival Guide. that June.
Fast forward 10 years, and during that time the dormant ASG
1982 Survival Guide brand name had been collecting dust in the archives of a company
In February 1982 “Shooter” was dropped what would eventually be named Engaged Enthusiast Media, a sub-
from the title, and it became, simply, Sur- sidiary of Beckett Media.
vival Guide. There it stayed for the next Fueled by an instable economy and renewed unrest in the Middle
three years with Dave Epperson as the East, polarizing political beliefs in the U.S., and the growing popular-
editorial director and Bob Clark as assis- ity of the zombie fad, a resurgence of self-reliance and personal inde-
tant editor (there was no official editor pendence was swelling in the United States again and the publishers
until Payton Miller became the executive felt it was a perfect time to bring back a magazine that brought so
editor in October 1985). much entertainment and education to survivalists, hunters, back-
woodsmen and hikers/campers alike.
1985 American Survival Guide American Survival Guide, Volume 1, Issue 1 was born.
For the first issue of its eighth year in And that’s the story; well, most of it. In three short years, ASG has
print, January 1985, “American” was gone from a quarterly to six times a year, then nine, then to a monthly
added to the title; it had finally settled, publication with specials. This year, 2015, will be the first time in 15
and the publishers wouldn’t make any years it will see the newsstand all 12 months.
changes to the title for the next 15 years. When you look at the pages before you, don’t think of it as just a
American Survival Guide was emblazoned new magazine, think of it as a survivor.
at the top of over 180 covers.

85
October 19
March 19
86
Janu
ary 2
001
May 1989

ASG-1502-DITCHBAG 12/9/14 3:43 AM Page 108
URBAN DITCH BAG
ANATOMY OF A
DITCH BAG
WHAT GOES INTO A DITCH BAG BEFORE IT GOES INTO THE SEA
By Larry Schwartz
hether you call it your ditch bag, grab bag, sur-

vival gear, or abandon ship bag, prudent and
prepared sailors will have a bag or container of
some sort that has the emergency gear
needed should they have to leave their vessel
and get in the water or into a life raft of some size. The contents of
everybody’s ditch bag or abandon ship bag is different, and it
should be. Every person’s experience level, skill set, needs, location
at sea, and climate conditions are different and these are the
things that affect your decisions on what you want in your ditch
bag. Some may have extensive first aid kits but little food. Some
may have many ways to gather food from the sea but only one way
PHOTO
COUR
TESY O
to signal for help.
F ACR/AR
TEX
All ditch bags should have something to address the following
Your ditch bag can be designed for that purpose, like this one basic areas of on the water survival: signaling, shelter, water, food,
from ARC, or you can use an existing bag as long as it is first aid and medications, and important documents. But first, you
waterproof, can be made to float, and provides easy access
to your emergency beacons and radios. need to pick the right bag to put everything into.

PICKING THE RIGHT BAGS “ALL DITCH BAGS SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO ADDRESS
There are many manufacturers on the mar-
ket who make bag designed specifically for this THE FOLLOWING BASIC AREAS OF ON THE WATER SURVIVAL:
purpose. There are also some who actually SIGNALING, SHELTER, WATER, FOOD, FIRST AID AND
MEDICATIONS, AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS.”
stock the bags for you with what they think you
will need in an abandon ship scenario. My
advice to you though is to consider buying one
of the bags, but don’t bother buying one that is tab through which you can run cord or a small
already stocked for you. Just like pre-stocked carabineer.
outdoor survival kits the items were selected The next question to consider is how big
because they may be useful (and many of your ditch bag should be. The answer is depen-
them will be), but more importantly they won’t dent upon the vessel it is intended to support.
address all of the areas mentioned above and Just as your EPIRB is registered to your vessel
they most likely will not address your skill level rather than to you personally, your ditch bag
and the environment you will be operating in. should reflect what you use your vessel for and Ponchos made from
reflective film are light-
You are far better off assembling your own the maximum number of people you could
weight, easy to pack,
equipment to ensure you know how to use it have on board. It needs to be large enough to and are excellent ways
and that it meets your needs, like protection have supplies for everyone who might be on to maintain your body
temperature in extreme
from the sun in equatorial regions or extra cold board or in the life raft. It needs to be large environments.
weather clothing for the North Atlantic or in the enough to include any special purpose gear
Great Lakes. you need based on the location you are operat-
The minimum requirements for a ditch bag ing in, such as cold weather clothing if you are
are that it is easily seen/brightly colored, it in colder regions or enough food to last more
floats when fully loaded, it is water proof and than a day or two if you are far from shore or
not just water resistant, it has appropriate han- rescue may take more than a day or two. It
dles to make it easy to move when fully should also not be so large that it is difficult for
loaded, and that it has at least one tether to one person to move. If the number of people
attach it to you or to your life raft or life boat. on board or the weather conditions make it too
PHOTO COURTESY OF COGHLANS

Keep the weight within what the buoyancy will heavy to move you should consider reducing
handle. what you are storing or have two or more bags
Other useful features found on many ditch with the same contents in each one so that the
bags are reflective tape to make it easier to see people with one bag won’t need what is in the
at night or at dusk/dawn, multiple pockets inside other bag.
and outside for organization or to provide easy
access to items like your EPIRB, documents, or
VHF transceiver. Many bags have a clear exterior A signal mirror is probably
pocket for storing your important documents. the most popular signaling
Speaking of tethers, remember that you will device around but they only
work on a bright day. This
be floating on water that is anywhere from 25 limitation is why flares and
feet to over 100 feet deep, so anything that gets smoke signals should also
be part of yoru signaling
dropped will not be recoverable. For that rea-
strategy.
son, as you identify the items you want to
include in your ditch bag pick the ones that
have an adjustable lanyard or some other way
of securing them to something that won’t sink.
If an item does not have a lanyard or tether,
such as a large first aid kit, you can buy or make
lanyards, or some form of retention system, to
keep from losing things that you drop or get
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
washed out of the raft or ditch bag. Zipper

locked freezer bags are a great way to secure
small items like tools or individual water pack-
ets and you can make an attachment point by
making a tab on one side with duct tape an
then using a hole punch to make a hole in the

ANATOMY OF A
DITCH BAG
PHOTO BY LARRY SCHWARTZ

[RIGHT] First aid kits
come in a wide range of
sizes and contents. Pick
the one that best fits
your needs and then
augment it as needed.
[BELOW] Reflective bivy

sacks, like this one from
American Medical Kits,
reflect body heat back
onto your body to help
keep you warm at night
or during cold weather.
The most effective way to build floatation trap your body heat in the raft. New items on
into the bag is to line it with closed cell foam, the market are ponchos made from this same
either built into the bag itself or lining the inte- reflective mylar as the popular space blankets.
AL KITS
rior. Most of the purpose built ditch bags have They can serve the same purpose but for indi-
this in place already, but if you want to use a dif- viduals. A final set of tools for shelter are reflec-
MEDIC
ferent bag you can get the foam at most home

ERICAN
improvement stores and then cut it to shape.

F AM
ESY O
SIGNALING
COURT
Equipment for signaling falls into two gen-

PHOTO
eral categories; long range and short range. For

long range signaling you should have a hand
held VHF radio for communicating with people
on-shore or with other vessels within range.
Your next level of long range signaling devices
to include in your ditch bag would be an EPIRB
registered to your vessel and possibly a PLB
registered to yourself. In addition to these elec-
tronic methods of signaling you should also
stock up on shorter range signaling devices, for
use within visual ranges. These would include
signal mirrors, flashlights, chemical lights, and
pyrotechnic signals like smoke signals, hand
held flares, and parachute flares.
SHELTER
A way to protect yourself from the elements
is vital any time you are on the open sea. The
first item to include in your kit would be tarp
that you can use to provide a canopy over your
raft. An emergency blanket with a dark side and
a reflective side is more useful than a plain tarp
as you can put the reflective side out during the
day to reflect heat away, and in at night to help

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATADYN

tive bivy sacks like those manufactured by one half to one gallon of
American Medical Kits (www.americanmed- water per person per
icalkits.com) and Blizzard Survival (www.bliz- day, depending on their
zardsurvival.com). weight. In addition to
the prepackaged water
FOOD you should consider
Energy and protein bars are a great way to including a method for
get your calories in a small package, especially turning salt water into
those that are designed as a meal replacement drinkable water as part of your kit. This will help [ABOVE] The Katadyn
Survivor 6 desalination
bar. High energy candy bars like Snickers are you extend your packaged water should it take
pump produces 30
also good options, although you should avoid longer than expected for help to arrive. The ounces of drinkable
those with a higher level of salt like the Payday SeaPack products from Hydration Technology water per hour.
bar. Another approach is to use MREs which Innovations (www.hitwater.com) use a forward
[BOTTOM, CENTER]
provide on average 1250 calories per meal. The osmosis method to remove the salt from the Smoke signals are
average person needs approximately 2000 water. This method only costs $75 to produce excellent for use during
the day while hand held
calories per day so one MRE plus some other four half-liters of drinkable water, but it takes and parachute flares are
food to supplement it should be sufficient per between four and eight hours to work, based on best used at night.
person per day. In addition to food you pack in the temperature of the water. The Survivor
your ditch bag you should also consider a small family of desalination pumps from Katadyn
spinning rod or a gill net or throw net that you (www.katadyn.com) produces drinkable water
can use to catch fish to supplement your diet or immediately, but it costs $1,000. Also, including
extend your food if your food runs out before rehydration powders in your ditch bag to add to
rescue arrives. your drinkable water will add a nice flavor
which will help you drink more and will help
WATER maintain your electrolyte balance. Choose the
Your supply of water should include pack- option that fits your needs and budget.
aged water, either in emergency rations or just
water in plastic bottles. You will need between FIRST AID AND MEDICATIONS
Any emergency kit should include first aid
supplies. In your ditch bag you will need a basic
first aid kit augmented with materials to take
care of severe burns, broken bones, and major
bleeding. Medications in your kit should
address pain relief, infections, diarrhea, allergic
reactions, anxiety and sea sickness. Items like
sunscreen and lip balm should also be included
to prevent exposure to sun related injuries.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
Because you don’t know when you might
need to use your ditch bag, where you will be, or
who will come to your rescue, you should
include key documents with you on board and
store them or add them to your ditch bag
before you abandon ship. These would include
your passport, registry for your vessel, banking
information, personal identification, and med-
ical records.
CONCLUSION
Deciding what you want in your ditch bag
and assembling it is your first step. The next
Biography: Larry Schwartz is an
PHOTO COURTESY OF USAF
step, and possibly the most important one long experienced outdoorsman and
term, is to practice with the items while on the hunter who enjoys passing on his
knowledge of the outdoors and
water to make sure you know how to use them,
how to “Be Prepared” through his
what they can and can’t do, and what chal- writing and workshops.
lenges being on the water creates.

ASG-1502-GG-PFD 12/9/14 3:47 AM Page 112
Gear Guide
FLOATATION DEVICES
Stay
Afloat
Personal Flotation Devices
Story by Tori Tellem
STIFFNESS MIGHT BE a feeling

you’ve long associated with wearing a
personal flotation device (PFD) — like
you’re walking around with a card-
board box around your torso. And
that often results in people who are
boating or doing other water activi-
ties deciding to skip wearing one
rather than be uncomfortable.
Bad idea.
But today’s PFDs are all about
contouring to your body, allowing
more flexibility, and nearly seeming
like a second skin, making suiting up
and ensuring safety a more positive
experience. Here are a few of the
interesting options in the PFD market.
Antimicrobial
Infant PFD
What makes this PFD interesting is
that it has an antimicrobial-treated
fabric that resists mold and will
keep smelling fresh. It also has a
large head pad.
• Ideal for children under 30 pounds
• The design allows for more mobil-
ity and flexibility
stearnsflotation.com

ASG-1502-GG-PFD 12/9/14 3:48 AM Page 113
PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICES Gear

Guide
Flotation Vest for Dogs

Hey, safety is important for the four-legged
ones as well! The underDOG allows a dog’s
head to be higher above the water than some
other types of vests.
• There are four adjustment points and an
adjustable mesh bridge between the collar
and body
• The vest has reflective trim accents and a
leash attachment point
mtiadventurewear.com
Comfort PFD
“Crazy buoyancy” is how the
Extrasport Universal HiFloat
PFD is described by its maker.
What’s cool is that there are
two cargo pockets and also
reflective tape.
• GlideFit uses two different
thicknesses of foam that
“glide” on top of each other,
keeping the bulk down
• It fits chest sizes from 30 to
56 inches
backcountry.com
Compact PFD
The NRS Ninja is meant to provide oodles
of movement, especially for kayakers and
boaters. It utilizes a stretchy inside fabric
that allows for breathability and flex.
• There’s a lash tab to hold a rescue knife
• Comfort comes via four size adjustments
and two shoulder adjustments
rei.com

ASG-1502-GG-PFD 12/9/14 3:48 AM Page 114
Gear PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICES

Guide
PFD for Kids

The NRS Youth Vista PFD is
worth checking out if you have
a 50-90-pound child. The
front zipper makes putting it
on and taking it off a quicker
process, which every parent
can probably appreciate.
• It has a 420D nylon outer
shell that resists snagging
and tearing
• Two pockets are included
with hook-and-loop closures
ems.com
Stretchy PFD
The Liquid Force Melody
Comp Vest has Flex-Span
Neoprene, a fabric that
absorbs less water and
dries fast. It zips tight and
PFD Coat has higher arm openings.
Think of it as wetsuit meets a • There’s a protective
PFD, although the Float Coat is layer of lightweight
absolutely certified as a PFD. It is impact flotation foam
available in long- and short-sleeve • Minimal taper and max-
varieties and has a neoprene col- imum stretch plus
lar, cuffs, and waistband. Stretch-Light lining
• There’s a stowaway hood and panels are all about the
reflective tape on the shoulders movement
• Hook-and-loop tabs and two wakesports.com
belts with easy-snap closures
are incorporated.
bodyglove.com

ASG-1502-GG-PFD 12/9/14 3:48 AM Page 115
PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICES Gear

Guide
Ergonomic PFD
The Trekker has a Wrapture-
shaped torso; the back has half
flotation and half cool mesh.
There’s a front zipper with a grip
tab, and there are adjustable
shoulders. Front pockets are also
integrated, as is reflective tape.
• There’s a cross-chest cinch har-
ness for no ride-up and open sides
for ventilation
• There are zippered pockets
stohlquist.com
Child PFD
What we dug about this PFD was
its flowery design, making it a bit
more “fun” and unique to wear,
when it might otherwise be a
struggle to put a child in it.
• There are adjustable chest and
leg straps for a little more safety
• Quick-release front buckles act as
the closure.
speedo.com

ASG-1502-GG-PFD 12/9/14 3:48 AM Page 116
Gear PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICES

Guide
Floatation Jacket
This offering is parka meets certified PFD; you don’t
have to put a PFD on over a heavy jacket. It has a
storm-flapped zipper front and Suisse Aire flota-
tion foam, which is super soft.
• There’s a fleece-lined collar with a rollaway hood,
plus fleece-lined handwarmer pockets
• There are two large front pockets that snap closed
stearnsflotation.com
Rockstar PFD
The Rockstar Vapor Pullover from Body Glove has a
special panel for flex in any direction, and the uber
low-profile vest has a boardshort connector.
• The interior lining is Aqua Stretch, for a plush feel
• There are mesh drain panels
wakesports.com
High Flotation PFD

If major water movement is your thing (say, raft-
ing), this is the PFD to consider, since it has been
designed with extra buoyancy and strength.
• There are reflective panels and four D-rings to
attach crotch straps
• Multiple pockets exist, including with Fleece.
mtiadventurewear.com

ASG_1502_117 12/9/14 4:59 AM Page 117
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ASG-1502-STOVE 12/9/14 3:54 AM Page 118
Simple Stainless
Stove Stand
ESBIT’S COMPACT STOVE AND POT STAND
Story and Photography by Thomas Sanchez
ometimes the simplest solution to a situation is the best.

Carrying a stove and fuel — even a mini version — can be
cumbersome, bulky, and heavy, and the prospects of
starting a fire with a variety of tried-and-true methods is
hampered by wind, rain, snow, or the lack of fuel. Coming
to the rescue is this very lightweight, stainless steel stove stand and
fuel system. Compact, the four machined sections of the stove break
down easily and are stored in a flat vinyl pouch that measures only 4.7 x
4.3 x 0.3 inches. The pouch can also house six of the Esbit solid fuel
tablets, and it is equipped with a belt loop (though we can’t see any-
one actually carrying this on their belt).
When assembled, it provides a three-sided pot stand 3.5 inches tall
that can handle any-sized pot larger than three inches in diameter. The
tray fits securely in the three slits in each of the sides that gives the
structure rigidity and has a rectangular divot that accommodates the
Esbit solid fuel tablet. Without the tray, the stove can still be used as a
wind break or with Esbit’s alcohol burner. Compact and easy to assemble, the Esbit stove and pot
stand is approximately 3.5 inches tall, and each side is 4.5
A pack of solid fuel tablets come in a box of 12 and lasts approxi-
inches wide. Broken down, it fits in the pouch that measures
mately 10 minutes, providing a constant smokeless flame advertised at only 4.7 inches square. The pouch can also hold six of the
1400 degrees (it topped out our digital thermometer). They were Esbit solid fuel tablets.
slightly difficult to start, however, but once ignited, were able to boil a
cup of water in under five minutes.

ASG-1502-STOVE 12/9/14 3:54 AM Page 119
[RIGHT] Even
though the tem-
perature inside
the stove stand
topped out our
temperature
gauge, the cor-
ners of the stand
remained cool. If
you had to, it
could be moved
One box contains 12 fuel tablets. The packaging is
quickly.
waterproof and serrated for easy separation.
[BELOW] The
sides of the stand
are nearly two
inches higher
than the fuel tray,
so the flame is
well protected
from any wind.
One fuel tablet fits nicely in the slight divot of the tray.
As it burns, it melts, so the divot contains the spread-
ing liquids.
A smokeless flame fills the insides of the stove stand

providing an even flame underneath the entire cup.
[BELOW] One fuel tablet was enough to boil one cup of

water in under five minutes. The outdoor temperature
was 65 degrees with a slight breeze.
[RIGHT] Each fuel

tablet provided a large
flame that lasted
about 10 minutes, even
though it is advertised
as lasting 12 minutes.
Towards the end, there
wasn’t enough of the
tablet left to provide a
decent flame.
SOURCE
industrialrev.com
MSRP: $29.95 (stove);
$7.99 (fuel tablets)

ASG-1502-BARS 12/9/14 3:56 AM Page 120
HOW-TO SURVIVAL BARS
Quick HOW TO BAKE

NUTRITIOUS AND
Snack ENERGY-PACKED
SURVIVAL BARS
Story and Photography by Nikki Grey
T
here are many variations of the granola bar, an oat-
filled and chewy snack. Store-bought bars tend to
be sugary and tasty — not to mention expensive —
and not the kind of food you should eat while hik-
ing or in a survival situation. When your body
needs energy and you don’t have the option to eat a meal, the
last thing you want to do is load up on empty calories and sug-
ars that can slow you down. Sure, the sugar will give you a
boost of energy, but what goes up must come down.
Homemade survival bars are the perfect solution. They
include minimal ingredients, are lightweight, easy to store and
can be made with fresh ingredients in an inexpensive way.
Granola bars can be as good for you as you choose, given
that many ingredients can be substituted for healthier options.
But that doesn’t mean survival bars can’t taste great.
Peanut butter and dried fruit and nuts pack in flavor, and
honey sweetens the deal. Many of the ingredients needed
You can try different types of nut and fruit toppings so you for survival bars are likely already
in your refrigerator.
don’t get bored of the same recipe. Some recipes call for bak-
ing, while others are bake-free.
You can eat these survival bars for breakfast, on-the-go or
in the wilderness!

ASG-1502-BARS 12/9/14 3:57 AM Page 121
1 2
3 4
Peanut
Butter Honey
Survival Bars Sweet,
12⁄3 cups quick rolled oats sweet honey
1
⁄2 cup granulated sugar Honey is a natural
1
⁄3 cup oat flour sweetener, sure, but it is
also a good source of
1
⁄2 teaspoon salt carbohydrates—17
1
⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon grams (and 64 calo-
2 cups sliced almonds ries) per tablespoon.
In a survival situation,
1 cup dried cherries carbs and the energy
1
⁄3 cup peanut butter they contain are very
helpful. This recipe calls
12 tablespoons melted butter
for honey, and lots of it,
1
⁄2 cup honey making these bars a
1 tablespoon water sweet and smart choice.
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9 x 13 pan with non-

6
stick spray. In a mixing bowl, stir oats, sugar, oat
flour, salt, cinnamon, almonds, cherries and peanut
butter. If you want to mix and match ingredients,
other recipes call for gluten-free oats, wheat germ Double-duty
or flakes. You can also substitute or add other dried
fruits and nuts, as well as seeds or even coconut. Or
almonds
maybe you’d prefer vanilla instead of cinnamon. Almonds. Full of pro-
Have fun with it and choose your own ingredients! tein, they’re good for
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, you and high in calories,
honey and water. If you prefer bars that are less which is perfect for sur-
crumbly, try adding 2 tablespoons light corn syrup vival situations. One
and 1⁄4 cup honey, rather than 1⁄2 cup honey. This cup of sliced almonds
recipe has more honey and no corn syrup in an effort contains 529 calories,
to create healthier bars. Some recipes call for fat or and this recipe calls for
oil as well. 3. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry two! Almonds add tex-
ingredients. 4. Spread the mix in the prepared pan, ture to the bars and are
pressing it into the pan, before drizzling with more also tasty. Win, win!
honey. 5. Bake the bars for 30 minutes or until
they’re brown around the edges. 6. The bars should
be soft, but will harden once cooled. After cooling,
cut the bars into squares. Bars are best stored in the
refrigerator or frozen.

ASG-1502-GG-STORAGE 12/9/14 3:59 AM Page 122
Gear Guide
WATERPROOF STORAGE
Dry Files
Protecting vital records and collectibles from
water, mildew, or moisture is important. A
simple metal file cabinet won’t protect
important papers from a leaky roof, nor will it
keep away a rising tide or overflowing river.
MSRP: $23.95
safefile.com
Water Tight idea to do what you can to keep them dry. Floods, hurri-
canes, tsunamis, or just heavy rain showers are sometimes
Keeping the Water Out all that stands in the way of an expensive communication
device and an expensive paperweight. You don’t want to
Story by Ben Gordon be stuck in the backcountry with wet gear.
Storage containers and travel equipment come in a
GIVEN THAT ABOUT 70 percent of the world is covered wide variety of shapes, sizes, and applications, from
with water and human beings are land-based animals with object specific cases for weapons or computers to general
possessions and equipment that doesn’t work well in the bags and backpacks that can accommodate most any-
water, some stuff is bound to get wet. Which is always thing. Having dry clothes just after a storm while on the
unfortunate. Since our land-based world is surrounded by trail is paramount to comfort, safety, and health, while
electronics, phones, computers, key fobs and a plethora of keeping your GPS dry and functioning may be the differ-
other things that don’t respond well when wet, it is a good ence between being rescued or staying stranded.

WATERPROOF STORAGE Gear

Guide
Safe Chest
The fireproof and waterproof safe chest by
SureSeal (SS103) is UL rated for 30 minutes
of fire protection up to 1550-degrees Fahren-
heit, which would protect it from a normal
house fire. It is also waterproof for 48 hours in
up to 48 inches of water. Protects Important
Paper Documents & Digital Media like USB
thumb drives, flash memory cards and more.
Features dual compression latches, a locking
handle and a lifetime guarantee.
MSRP: $69.00
safefile.com
Clear Storage
The waterproof polycarbonate storage
box (3600) is see-through and has a con-
tinuous o-ring that keeps water out as
well as a rubber lining for protecting valu-
ables. There are three tight-closing cam-
action latches and a handle. At 11 inches
long and 7.25 inches wide, it can survive
being submerged up to six feet for 30
minutes. It comes in four different sizes.
MSRP: $24.47
planostoragesolutions.com
Lockout Puck
Waterproof up to 120 feet, these small
plastic pucks screw tight and have a rub-
ber o-ring that keeps out the water. With
an external diameter of 2.5 inches, they
are compact, concealable and strong.
Made by S&S Precision in Virginia Beach,
VA, they come in black and coyote tan.
MSRP: $23.48
sandsprecision.com

Gear WATERPROOF STORAGE

Guide
Gamma Seal
There’s a lot you can do with a bucket, but there’s so much
more you can do with a waterproof bucket. Gamma Seals
are inexpensive conversion kits that can turn a standard
bucket into a waterproof, airtight, portable storage con-
tainer. They come in a wide variety of colors and can fit a
standard sized five-gallon bucket.
MSRP: $7.99
sportsmansguide.com
Seal Pack
It doesn’t matter what kind of water you’re on — river, lake,
or ocean — there’s security in keeping your smaller valuables
safe. Great for boating or travel, this personal pack protects
small valuables like wallets and passports from the ele-
ments. It has a waist belt and shoulder strap and is made of
rugged PU-coated 600D polyester. It comes in various colors,
is 8 x 8 inches and can hold approximately 244 cubic inches.
MSRP: $47.95
cascadedesigns.com
Black Canyon
The highly durable and lightweight Black
Canyon Boundary Dry Pack features a
watertight roll-top closure and is made of
a PVC-free, scrim-reinforced urethane for
abrasion resistance. The shoulder straps
are waterproof and ventilated and it is
available in three sizes. The 115-liter and
70-liter sizes close with side-cinch buckles
while the daypack-size 35-liter pack has a
top buckle closure.
MSRP: $139.95
cascadedesigns.com

WATERPROOF STORAGE Gear

Guide
Urban
Waterproofing
Lightweight and well built, our
RF-welded Urban Backpack
offers seamless protection in an
urban environment. A water-
tight roll-down closure with
buckle attachments provide
easy access, as well as a weath-
erproof zip pocket and accessory
clip system. A light clip-loop
helps keep you visible and the
ventilated backing will help
keep you dry while wearing it. It
comes in two sizes, 17 or 37 liters.
MSRP: $149.95
cascadedesigns.com
The DryCase Backpack

The DryCase backpack has a waterproof main compartment capable of
holding 30 liters, an internal zippered waterproof pocket to store smaller
items and a front mesh area to store wet or loose things. The shoulder straps
are nicely padded and extra gear can be attached in a variety of different
ways. Unique to this pack is a valve that allows you to inflate the backpack
for buoyancy or fill it with water and use the valve as a shower.
MSRP: $89.99
drycase.com
Phantom Aquatics Dry Bag

The Phantom is a roll-top, 100-percent waterproof backpack with padded
shoulder straps and lumbar support. It comes in red, blue, black and yel-
low. Dropped in water, it floats safely. It protects not just against water,
but dust, dirt and sand. With lumbar support and padded shoulder straps,
it’s as comfortable as it gets. There are reflective patches on both shoulder
straps and the front of the bag and it is equipped with an outer elasticized
mesh side pocket and top carry handle. It holds 25 liters.
MSRP: $49.95
primescuba.com


Guide
Waterproof Rifle
Made of lightweight but strong HPX resin and having four padlockable
clasps, this iM3300 rifle case can withstand the weather thanks to the
watertight seal and six press-and-pull latches. The interior measures
50.5 x 14 x 6 inches and can accommodate most rifles and associated
gear. The handle is plastic with a soft grip. MSRP: $179.95
peli.com
Fire Case
Sometimes the smallest of
cases can be the most
valuable, especially ones
containing waterproof
matches like this one. The
case even has a integrated
striker (and spares), and
only weighs just shy of 2
ounces. The matches will
light even after being sub-
merged in water.
MSRP: $6.95
rei.com
The Fishpond
Sized to hold most point-and-shoot cameras, cell phones and
other small accessories, the waterproof, roll-top pouch easily
attaches to wading belts, backpacks and other gear. Removable
padding on the inside protects your valuables. The heavy-duty
420-denier TPU nylon construction makes it durable and long
lasting. Its dimensions are 6 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches.
MSRP: $29.99
cabelas.com

ASG_1502_127 12/11/14 11:51 PM Page 127
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Guide
Perfect Pouches
This three-piece set of clear PVC
waterproof pouches will keep your
documents dry wherever you are.
Ideal for things like your fishing
license, permits, maps, or even your
mobile phone, these pouches feature
a quick access waterproof seal.
Small: 18 x 13cm; Medium: 25 x 18cm;
Large: 33 x 27cm
MSRP: $9.99
thewaterproofstore.com
Safe Computing
Designed specifically to house
a laptop, the interior dimen-
sion of this 1099 Hardback HyperGear
Case are 15.78 x 11.16 x 2.06 With an adjustable shoulder
inches. It features a water- strap and a D-ring for easy
tight gasket creating a very attachment, this durable dry
tight seal when the case is bag is robust and certified
closed and has an automatic waterproof, capable of float-
purge valve that keeps water ing safely should it acciden-
and dust out while balancing tally be dropped in the
air pressure. It includes a water. It comes in a variety of
removable shoulder strap. colors and sizes, from 5
MSRP: $66.99 quarts to 40 liters.
peli.com hyper-gear.com

ASG-1502-ADINDEX 12/9/14 4:05 AM Page 129
AD INDEX
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DEADEND Brain and Hypoxia

Though the brain is first affected by the lack of
oxygen, it is usually the last to shut down.
When blood pressure drops to around the 25-30
Inhale
mmHg range, a person is usually rendered
When water is inhaled, the
unconscious. This is called hypoxia, but the
first reaction is to cough,
brain can continue to function, depending on
choke, and/or swallow the
conditions, for some time.
water. This typically leads
The Effects to more water being gulped.
of Drowning Gag Reflex

It is one of our most primi- When water reaches the throat, it tries to seal
off the throat with a series of spasms (like
tive but visceral fears;
gulps). Water, with nowhere else to go, ends
thrashing in the deep, far up in the stomach, which is quickly filled.
below the water’s surface,
lungs burning for oxygen, Lungs
arms straining toward the If underwater for an extended period of time
ever darkening light above. the body accumulates the gas carbon dioxide,
which, when present in the lungs, triggers
Human beings are not well the desire to breathe. Eventually a drowning
Bloodstream
adapted to live in the water. After a short victim will involuntarily draw in a breath.
We are poor swimmers moment without
air, the oxygen Dry Drowning
compared to other mam- level in the Once the drowning victim is
mals, and we lack the body bloodstream unconscious, the throat relaxes
decreases. and water fills the lungs to
fat to maintain a proper
capacity. However, in 20 percent
temperature. The world of drowning victims the larynx
record for holding breath remains sealed (this is called a
dry drowning).
underwater is an astonish-
ing 22 minutes, held by Stig
Hypotonic/Hypertonic
Severinsen of Denmark. Fresh water filling the lungs is
However, there is only a hypotonic to the blood, meaning
it seeps into the blood stream,
short amount of time an dilutes the plasma/electrolytes,
organ in the human body and causes the red blood cells
can go without oxygen. to swell and burst. Saltwater
has the opposite effect, becom-
Sometimes it can be just a ing hypertonic to the blood
few seconds before damage passing near the lungs. The
plasma gets sucked into the
occurs and, usually, the brain
lungs and fills it. Either way, air
is the first to be affected. and gas cannot be exchanged.
Drowning is the third most
common cause of acciden-
tal death worldwide, Panic
Heart Once a person realizes that air
accounting for seven per- Lack of oxygen stops the process is out of reach, panic sets in,
cent of all deaths. According of aerobic metabolism, which is accompanied by a large
how your body converts carbohy- amount of thrashing and
to the World Health Organi- drates and fat into energy. The movement which expends a
zation more than 350,000 body becomes acidotic, and too lot of energy and consumes
much acid leads to electrical con-
people die every year from more oxygen.
ductivity issues in the heart,
drowning, and those num- which then ceases to function.
bers don’t include floods or
boat accidents.
When a person’s face
touches water the mam-
malian diving reflex begins, > On average, there are around 3,000 fatal unintentional drownings
initiating a series of involun- in the United States each year.
tary physiological
> About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger.
responses. Designed to keep
the body alive in the water, > Nearly 80 percent of people who die from drowning are male.
the airway closes, the heart
> Among children 1 to 4 years old who died from an unintentional injury,
rate slows, and the capillar- more than 30 percent died from drowning.
ies in the skin and extremi-
> Over 72 percent of boating deaths are caused by drowning,
ties constrict, sending blood with 88 percent of victims not wearing life jackets.
toward the vital organs.
> About 90 percent of drowning cases occur in fresh water.

ASG_1502_C3 12/11/14 11:52 PM Page C3
ASG_1502_C4 12/9/14 2:39 AM Page C4
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ASG_1502_COVER1-CX 12/12/14 12:54 AM Page US_C1

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11 food, first aid, disaster survival

Store all of your important per-

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PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM RALSTON

PREPPING RALSTON WITH

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14 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE > FEBRUARY 2015

Practice safety first. During a time

of year where you will be using fire-

Before the winter begins, check

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How Malibu Deals With

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Federal Aid Available

Robots Take on Ebola

UV rays (25,000 times brighter than fluorescent

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here is no doubt that a big part of most every survival situa-

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